1.3 Principles of Programs Funded by Ohio Department of Health
Maximizing the Use of Public Funding
ODH requires all funded school-based dental sealant programs to identify Medicaid consumers for whom it provides sealants and to bill the appropriate Medicaid managed care plan or the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In so doing, the grant dollars (originating with the federal Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant) that ODH awards can be used for the maximum number of children at higher risk for dental caries with no identifiable funding source.
To promote the best use of public funding, ODH does not permit its grantees to bill Medicaid for services that are of little or no value to children in the context of school-based dental sealant programs where children typically have one to two visits over a 2-year period and there are no treatment options beyond sealant placement. Examples of such services include
- Diagnostic services, such as examinations and x-rays. (These should be provided only by a dentist who is equipped to provide treatment services, such as restorations or extractions.)
- A single topical fluoride treatment (e.g., flouride varnish).
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