Dental care organizations serving Oregon Health Plan patients are still publicly concerned about their attempts to become part of the newly forming coordinated care organizations, and they made a presentation on Monday, May 21, to the Senate’s health committee during a three-day interim session, according to The Lund Report.

Coordinated care organizations are the backbone of the reforms the Legislature set in motion last year to reform the Oregon Health Plan’s delivery system. They will integrate and coordinate each Oregon Health Plan patient's physical, mental and dental health starting this August; the hope is by creating patient teams, more efficient and effective care will be provided, thus saving costs and decreasing emergency room and specialty care use.

Dental care organizations aren’t required to become a part of coordinated care organizations until July 2014. Until then, they can simply contract with a coordinated care organizations to provide dental services.

But dental care organizations worry that if they do not become a part of a coordinated care organization’s planning process now, providing effective dental care will not be emphasized and instead will be put on a back burner.

To read the full article from The Lund Report, click here.