FY2023 Enacted Budget
Special Commission on Oral Health
(a) There shall be a special commission on oral health for the purpose of studying oral disease in the commonwealth, identifying gaps in care and developing a strategic plan to address specific barriers, integrate oral health with general health and improve access to, and quality of, oral health care for the residents of the commonwealth. The commission shall: (i) investigate the current oral health status and needs of all residents of the commonwealth, including adult and pediatric populations; (ii) assess gaps in access to oral health care and services; (iii) develop a plan and timeline to conduct a statewide oral health needs assessment, which shall be under the direction of the office of oral health advisory committee; (iv) create guidelines to establish a statewide oral health data and surveillance system using contemporary information technologies and national comparisons of key indicators; (v) provide workforce, infrastructure and policy recommendations that address oral health disparities, increase public awareness of oral health services and work towards building health equity; (vi) utilize data to examine oral health status and dental care access for underserved and diverse populations including, but not limited to, racially, ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse communities across all geographic regions of the commonwealth; (vii) assess provider capacity or shortages, inclusive of provider enrollment by payer type; (viii) propose solutions to improve access to culturally sensitive care and services and increase dental provider enrollment in MassHealth; (ix) investigate gaps in public oral health prevention and promotion programs, considering the impact of social determinants of health on oral health; and (x) report on other matters as the commission shall determine to be of relevance and priority.
(b) The commission shall consist of: the commissioner of public health or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the members of the department of public health office of oral health advisory committee; the assistant secretary for MassHealth or a designee; the chairs of the joint committee on public health or their designees; the director of the health policy commission or a designee; the executive director of the center for health information and analysis or a designee; and 17 members to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Dental Society, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists' Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of Health Care For All, Inc., 3 of whom shall be representative of geographically, racially, socioeconomically and ethnically diverse communities, 1 of whom shall be a representative of an organization representing older adults, 2 of whom shall be representatives of community health centers that provide dental health services, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Boston public health commission, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a dean of a Massachusetts school of dental medicine or a designee, 1 of whom shall be a dean of a Massachusetts school of dental hygiene or a designee, 1 of whom shall be representative of The Massachusetts Public Health Association, 1 of whom shall be representative of the Massachusetts Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 1 of whom shall be representative of hospital that provides dental services to children and 1 of whom shall be representative of a health organization participating in an accountable care payment model. The commission may select additional or replacement members as appropriate and may consult with relevant experts to support the commission's objectives and the production of its report.
(c) The commission shall file its report and recommendations with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on health care financing and the joint committee on public health not later than July 31, 2023. The statewide oral health needs assessment findings and recommendations shall be filed not later than July 31, 2024.
Related: Special Commission on Oral Health