L.A. Care Health Plan Awards 14 Grants to Support Oral Health Initiatives

Nation’s largest publicly operated health plan supports health safety net by expanding dental services for low-income residents

LOS ANGELES — L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan serving more than 1.4 million members, has awarded 14 oral health initiative program grants across Los Angeles County.  

These funds will help safety net providers start and expand dental service programs, as well as provide oral health education, prevention and treatment services in low-income communities.  Since 2003, L.A. Care has provided more than $9 million to 91 oral health projects, providing care to more than 110,000 Los Angeles County residents.
 
“L.A. Care remains one of the largest supporters of safety net oral health services in Los Angeles County, in part because of the strong connection between oral health and overall health,” said L.A. Care CEO Howard A. Kahn. “Our goal is to provide access to high quality, affordable health care for as many people as possible. We are excited to expand our reach to even more dental clinics… and even more patients.”
 
In response to high demand for adult and adolescent dental health services, L.A. Care is committed to helping meet this need, understanding that a lack of access is a challenge for many Los Angeles County residents. A 2010 study indicates that a total of 72 percent of Los Angeles County’s underprivileged children up to 18 years old were classified as needing dental care (within 15 days) and another 9 percent as needing immediate dental care (within 24 hours).1 In addition, the same study found that the majority of parents (86 percent) were not following the recommendations by the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry that the child should visit the dentist by his/her first birthday.2
 
To learn more about oral health, and L.A. Care’s grant program, visit www.lacare.org.