Strengthening State Medicaid Advocacy for People with Disabilities
People with Disabilities Deserve Equitable Oral Health Care.
Funded by CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, “Strengthening State Medicaid Advocacy for People with Disabilities” aims to advance equitable oral health for individuals with disabilities, by creating data-driven policy and advocacy resources to enhance Medicaid dental benefits. The project is a collaborative effort between AIDPH and the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD).
Advocacy Toolkit
AIDPH and CTD are developing a toolkit to build the capacity of oral health professionals, people with disabilities, advocates, and other stakeholders to provide Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities. Topics include using data to inform policy, understanding your political landscape, engaging with decision-makers, creating nontraditional partnerships, and storytelling in policy.
We’re looking for feedback on each portion of the toolkit! Fill out the toolkit feedback form here if you have suggestions on how to enhance existing features or ideas for new resources to include.
Here are the completed Toolkit sections:
Webinars
In addition to the toolkits, AIDPH and CTD are conducting virtual training sessions sharing real-time successes and strategies for building relationships and advancing legislative expansion in Medicaid for people with disabilities. We want to build the capacity of advocates to use successful models and data-driven approaches developed and implemented collaboratively by AIDPH and CTD. We’re excited to help to empower community members with the tools, data, and advocacy strategies to drive meaningful systemic change.
We’ve held four webinars this year, and you can find the recordings, slides, and resources below:
- A Community-Led Approach to Increasing Dental Benefits in Medicaid—A Texas Case Study (March 8, 2024)
- Data-Driven Advocacy: Shaping Medicaid Dental Policies for Disability Access (May 1, 2024)
- Non-Traditional Partners & Legislative Champions in Advocacy for Dental Benefits in Medicaid (August 1, 2024)
- Storytelling to Engage Audiences in Medicaid Disability Advocacy (October 3, 2024)
- March 8 - Community-Led Approaches
- May 1 - Data-Driven Advocacy
- August 1 - Non-traditional Partners & Legislative Champions
- October 3 - Storytelling to Engage Audiences in Medicaid Disability Advocacy
March 8, 2024 | 12:30 pm CT
Abstract: Many states do not offer dental benefits to adults with disabilities through their Medicaid program, exacerbating barriers to dental care for an already marginalized and historically excluded community. Advancing policies and strategies that strengthens Medicaid dental benefits is particularly challenging in conservative states where policy approaches have to be bipartisan and fiscally sound. This session highlights the pivotal efforts within Texas to enhance Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities by delving into the comprehensive journey from the initial identification of the gap in dental healthcare benefits to the strategic legislative actions undertaken to address this disparity. Attendees will learn successful strategies and community-led efforts employed in Texas to advocate for and implement increased Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities. Following the successful model outlined by the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, this session will explore the collaborative efforts between consumer advocacy organizations and public health entities in driving meaningful policy change.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Analyze the process for identifying gaps in Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities.
- Evaluate the steps involved in determining a legislative solution, including stakeholder engagement and policy analysis.
- Explain the significance of community advocates leading health policy initiatives, emphasizing their role in championing for marginalized populations.
- Apply lessons learned from the Texas case study to propose innovative solutions for improving dental healthcare access in other states.
Watch the recording:
May 1, 2024 | 12:30 pm CT
Abstract: Data can be a powerful tool for policy advocacy. This webinar explores the transformative role of data-driven methodologies in informing Medicaid dental policies for adults with disabilities. Following a community-engaged model, the framework discussed during this session leverages evidence-based strategies to equip advocates with the necessary tools to navigate and apply data for effective policy advocacy. Participants will gain insights into the dynamics of using data to pinpoint gaps in existing policies, access tools for enhancing Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities, and see examples of the application of these tools through community-led advocacy. This session highlights a toolkit developed by the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) and the Coalition of Texas with Disabilities (CTD) that provides stakeholders with frameworks, checklists, and real-world case studies to apply in their own advocacy work.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Analyze the role of data-driven approaches in formulating and reforming Medicaid dental policies for adults with disabilities.
- Demonstrate the ability to source and interpret relevant data to support advocacy for expanded Medicaid dental benefits.
- Construct compelling arguments using data to showcase the necessity and impact of policy changes in dental care for individuals with disabilities.
Watch the recording:
Non-Traditional Partners & Legislative Champions in Advocacy for Dental Benefits in Medicaid
August 1, 2024 | 12:30 pm CT
Abstract: Many states do not offer dental benefits to adults with disabilities through their Medicaid program, exacerbating barriers to dental care for an already marginalized and historically excluded community. Advancing policies and strategies that strengthen Medicaid dental benefits is particularly challenging in conservative states where policy approaches have to be bipartisan and fiscally sound.
This session highlights the pivotal efforts within Texas to enhance Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities by delving into the journey of building a broad stakeholder coalition. Attendees will learn the roles that traditional partners (advocacy groups, lobbyists, legislative allies) and non-traditional partners (community-led groups, trade associations) may play. This session will highlight how and why to center people with lived experience in advocacy work. Attendees will also learn about the successful strategies employed in Texas to secure committed legislative champions.
Following the successful model outlined by the Coalition of Texas with Disabilities (CTD) and Texas Advocates, this session will explore how partnerships and coalitions may be developed and maintained in order to drive meaningful policy change.
This session highlights a toolkit developed by the American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) and CTD that provides stakeholders with frameworks, checklists, and real-world case studies to apply in their own advocacy work.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain why and how to meaningfully involve people with lived experience in their advocacy work.
- Identify appropriate potential non-traditional partners in their own networks as well as opportunities to build relationships with new partners.
- Analyze the role of legislative champions in formulating and reforming Medicaid dental policies for adults with disabilities.
- Apply lessons learned from the Texas case study to propose innovative solutions for improving dental healthcare access in other states.
Watch the recording:
Storytelling to Engage Audiences in Medicaid Disability Access
October 3, 2024 | 12:30 pm CT
Abstract: AIDPH and the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD) are producing a toolkit to build the capacity of oral health professionals, people with disabilities, and other stakeholders to advocate for Medicaid dental benefits for adults with disabilities. This session will explore the benefits of using storytelling as an advocacy strategy to engage audiences about the importance of these benefits. Attendees will learn practical storytelling techniques and gain access to resources to ensure stories are told authentically and respectfully. While data and facts are essential to any policy initiative, storytelling is what can help audiences engage on an emotional level, inspiring them to advocate and take action for meaningful healthcare reform.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Describe the key elements and structure of stories and how they can inspire needed change.
- Identify strategies that can be used to address key challenges in storytelling, such as authenticity, representation, and balancing emotion with fact.
- Analyze the elements necessary to design a path to success in storytelling, including goal setting, audience identification, evoking empathy, and selecting platforms and channels.
- Apply insights from a Texas case study to consider approaches to incorporating storytelling in advocacy efforts.
Watch the recording:
Medicaid Dental Benefits Legislation Tracker for People with Disabilities
The Bill Bank is organized to provide advocates with an overview of Medicaid dental coverage information and legislative examples tailored for people with disabilities across U.S. states. The Medicaid Landscape tab details each state’s Medicaid program type, dental coverage level, and any specific provisions for individuals with disabilities. As additional resources, we have included links to official Medicaid pages and relevant eligibility guidelines. This tab allows advocates to quickly understand their state’s dental coverage status and identify targeted resources for those with disabilities.
The Legislation Tracker tab compiles relevant bills introduced at the state level aimed at improving dental access for people with disabilities. Each entry provides a bill’s title, status, summary, and direct links to bill language and additional resources. This setup allows advocates to study successful legislative language and past advocacy efforts as they develop their own policy proposals or legislative strategies.
To create the bill bank, we reviewed and compared several reports on Medicaid dental benefits and compiled publicly available information on each state’s programs. This tool is current as of October, 2024 and intended as a foundational resource. Given the ever-evolving nature of Medicaid policies we encourage advocates to use the resources provided here as a starting point for additional research into the current Medicaid landscape in their state. Advocates can also use this bill bank in conjunction with our advocacy toolkits for comprehensive support in building their advocacy plans.
Several organizations have robust data tools and reports on Medicaid and Medicaid dental coverage. These were used to compile the Bill Bank information and we encourage advocates to explore these tools as additional resources:
- An Interactive Map on the Status of State Medicaid Expansion status from KFF
- “10 Things to Know about Medicaid Managed Care” from KFF
- “Medicaid Adult Dental Benefits Are on the Move in 2024” from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
- “Medicaid Adult Dental Benefits Offered to Specific Beneficiary Groups” from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
- “Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage Checker” from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
You can scroll through the embedded version below or use this link to go to the Google Sheet version in a separate browser.