May 25, 2000-Community Voices Miami commends the U.S. Surgeon General for bringing the issue of dental care to the forefront by issuing the first national report on oral health. On the basis of this report''s findings and because of Miami's limited availability of oral health services for the uninsured and underinsured, Community Voices Miami is calling for an increased local effort to bridge the gaps pointed to by the Surgeon General.
Many residents in Miami-Dade County lack access to oral health services according a recent preliminary Oral Health Study conducted by the Health Council of South Florida in partnership with Community Voices Miami. Financial barriers, availability of dental care providers, and lack of dental insurance coverage all characterize Miami's oral health crisis.
Leda M. P rez, Project Director, Community Voices Miami, says the Surgeon General's report will help their efforts to create awareness that will ultimately improve services.
"The report will help raise conciousness of the importance of preventive oral health care," said P rez. "We hope that this national report will boost our local efforts to increase access to dental services, bringing needed care to all in Miami-Dade County."
Because availability of oral health services is limited in Miami, many must visit a hospital for both routine dental services and emergency services alike. Unfortunately, this increase in inappropriate Emergency Room utilization contributes to higher oral health insurance rates for all.
Based on the preliminary findings by the Health Council of South Florida, there is a need for:
Decreasing the financial barriers by creating an affordable dental health insurance product.
Establishing a network of providers willing to offer affordable health care services to the uninsured and underinsured.
Placing a greater emphasis on making preventive services available to more people to allow more efficient use of dental professionals who are available to treat these underserved populations.
Changes made to the federal Medicaid program in 1996 are also contributing in limiting the availability/access to oral health services both nationally and here in Miami. Medicaid has decreased the allowance paid to dentists for oral health services. Because of these changes, the need for affordable dental services in Miami and nationwide is increasingly high, and is expected to increase even more. Until now, Miami's efforts to improve access to dental care fell short of their potential. Community Voices Miami believes the Surgeon General's report will help people see oral health problems as a community health issue and not an "independent" issue.
Community Voices Miami, a project under Camillus House, is one of thirteen "learning laboratories" that comprise the multi-year Community Voices national initiative, which is supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The primary goal of Community Voices Miami and partners is to improve health care access for the uninsured and underinsured for all residents in Miami-Dade County, Florida.