July 2024 | Issue No. 41

Finding Oral Health Professionals Who Accept Medicaid and CHIP

Welcome to Resources to Make You Smile! This monthly newsletter features information and tools Head Start staff can use to help families promote good oral health. These tips help Head Start staff support families, expectant families, and children. The newsletter also includes a recipe for a healthy snack that children can make in a Head Start classroom or at home with their families.

Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP)

Medicaid provides health insurance for children from families with low incomes. In some states, it also covers expectant parents, people with disabilities, and adults with low incomes. CHIP provides health insurance for children from families with low incomes that are too high to qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid and CHIP are both joint federal–state programs run by each state. These programs are meant to help individuals with low income afford oral health care.

Not all oral health professionals accept Medicaid and CHIP. This can make it difficult to find oral health care, even in areas with many dental offices and clinics. Head Start staff play an important role in helping families find a dental office or clinic that accepts Medicaid and CHIP. Resources that can help are listed below.

Resources for Staff

Review these Brush Up on Oral Health tip sheets to learn more about Medicaid and CHIP and find oral health professionals who accept them:

• Finding Oral Health Care
• Finding Oral Health Professionals That Accept Medicaid and CHIP

Check out InsureKidsNow.gov to learn about coverage options for people enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP. Use the Find a Dentist online search tool to identify a dentist in your area who provides care to children and expectant parents enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

Resources for Parents

Share Finding a Dental Clinic for Your Child with families and expectant parents to give them tips for accessing a dental office or clinic that accepts Medicaid and CHIP. This handout from the Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles series also offers questions to ask when choosing a provider.

Cook’s Corner Recipe: Fruit and Cheese Flag 

Ingredients
1 small seedless watermelon
1 pound low-fat white cheese such as feta, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or provolone
1 quart blueberries

Directions

1. Cut the watermelon into small squares.
2. Cut the cheese into small squares.
3. Place a small square bowl at the top left-hand corner of a rectangular plate or tray.
4. Put the blueberries in the bowl to form the stars of the flag.
5. Arrange the watermelon and cheese pieces in alternating rows to form the stripes of the flag.

Makes 24 servings
Safety tip: To prevent injuries, an adult should slice ingredients.

Stay Connected!

Join MyPeers to connect with Head Start and early childhood colleagues around the country on this and other topics. Members of the Health, Safety, and Wellness community are currently networking, sharing, and learning from each other. Find it under "All Communities" and select the blue "Join" button.

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We Want to Hear from You!

Send your questions or comments to the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety at [email protected] or (toll-free) 888-227-5125.