Cherag Sarkari, BDS, MS: LIBERTY Dental Plan: Employee (Ongoing)
Description: Liberty Dental Plan initiated a value-based program, called BRUSH ProgramTM. The program rewards Liberty’s dental providers who can demonstrate improved outcomes for their Medicaid patients that positively affects population oral and overall health. This is accomplished through a risk-based stratified approach that allows Liberty’s members classified with a higher risk to access dental benefits with a higher frequency to bring about an ultimate reduction in their risk profile for oral diseases. The program is part of Liberty’s commitment to bringing about meaningful change to health outcomes of its members. At a member’s first dental visit, based on a structured caries risk assessment (CRA), the participating dentist scores the member/patient as low, moderate, or high caries risk. The CRA is submitted using a secure portal or a form. The provider is incentivized to lower the Medicaid participants’ risk. In 12 months, a second risk assessment is performed to monitor the patient. Results between these two time periods were analyzed to assess program effectiveness. The first 12 months have shown the program to be effective. Continued monitoring is required and strategies to engage those that stayed the same or increased risk are being considered.
