Federal Reports

Medicaid is the primary source of dental coverage for children in low-income families and provides access to dental care for approximately 37 million children. However, access to dental care for children with Medicaid has been a longstanding concern. When children lack dental care, untreated decay and infection in their mouths can result in preventable emergency room visits or more complicated and expensive dental and medical interventions later in life. Medicaid provides dental services to children through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment program. Under this program, States are required to cover all medically necessary dental services and these services must be provided at the intervals specified in States' pediatric dental periodicity schedules.

This report contains classified information that is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. To obtain further information, please contact the OIG Office of Counsel at OIGCounsel@oig.treas.gov, (202) 927-0650, or by mail at Office of Treasury Inspector General, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20220.

Long-term-care employees provide essential care to patients in settings such as nursing facilities, home health agencies, and hospices. Ensuring that these employees have undergone a minimum level of screening helps protect the safety of beneficiaries in these settings. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides grants to States to implement background check programs for prospective long-term-care employees. The ACA also requires OIG to conduct an evaluation of this grant program-known as the National Background Check Program-after its completion. This interim report describes the overall implementation status and States' results from the first 4 years of the program, and provides CMS with information that may assist its ongoing administration of this program. OIG also plans to issue a final evaluation of the grant program after its completion.

Not all of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange’s (Washington marketplace) internal controls were effective in ensuring that individuals were enrolled in qualified health plans (QHPs) according to Federal requirements.