MSV and physician groups support study of untreated dental disease

17 February 2012

The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) and the Virginia College of Emergency Physicians (VACEP) have signed on in support of a resolution directing the Joint Commission on Healthcare (JCHC) to study the economic impact of oral health access on Virginia. As part of the study, JCHC shall estimate the costs to the Virginia Medicaid program to hospital emergency departments for dental-related diagnoses, the amount of uncompensated care provided by hospital emergency departments for dental-related diagnoses and the number of dental patients treated and the overall value of the dental-related services provided by Virginia’s safety net providers.

SJ 50 was introduced by Sen. George Barker (D-39th, Fairfax) and Del. John O'Bannon, M.D. (R-73rd, Henrico) on behalf of the Virginia Oral Health Coalition. MSV is a member of the coalition. The coalition has explained to legislators that oral health impacts the overall economy through lost work and school hours and dollars lost through uncompensated and preventable hospitalizations. The JCHC study would provide Virginia-specific data on untreated dental disease to help quantify these costs. The study resolution will next be considered by the House Rules committee.