DALLAS, Jan. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Dental Plans Foundation recently awarded a total of $99,000 to three innovative organizations focused on the advancement of access to oral health care and the administration of dental benefits. The 2025 grantees are: Charm Economics, LLC, The Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine (COHN), and Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego.
“The NADP Foundation is pleased to advance these projects addressing the oral health needs of some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Foundation Board Chair Brad Peak of Sun Life U.S.
In 2024, NADP revitalized its independent Foundation to focus on research and education initiatives.
In August the NADP Foundation issued its first RFP, soliciting for projects that:
- Demonstrate improvements in access to oral healthcare,
- Demonstrate innovations in oral healthcare delivery,
- Support the advancement of the administration of dental benefits,
- Enhance the dental insurance and dental benefits knowledge of oral health professionals and dental students.
A three-person panel of Foundation Board members evaluated 19 proposals based on the following criteria:
- Potential Impact and Significance; Capacity, Feasibility, and Methodology;
- Cost-Effectiveness; and
- Alignment with NADP Foundation’s mission and objectives.
Three applications were selected to receive funding.
About the Grant Recipients
Charm Economics will develop a white paper that explores the evolving landscape of dental benefits for retirees, examining the differences in coverage pre- and post-Medicare and the increasing trend of Medicare Advantage enrollment. The paper will provide a comprehensive survey of how seniors meet their oral health needs and estimate the number of individuals who remain without coverage. Additionally, it will offer practical recommendations to better address the gaps in coverage, considering the challenges of implementing ambitious new federal programs.
The Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine (COHN) is proud to launch the “From the First Cavity” initiative, a project aimed at improving children’s oral health by empowering trusted community-based partners to support families in effectively managing dental disease. Through this initiative, Community Health Workers, Head Start staff, and other non-clinical allied health staff will partner to design and pilot a targeted parent/caregiver intervention model. The goal is to support parents and caregivers in adopting mouth-healthy habits and caries management strategies following their child’s first caries arrest treatment, with a focus on children receiving minimally invasive care in primary care and preschool settings. By combining evidence-based guidance with a community-centered approach, the project will help prevent disease progression and reduce the need for future restorative and surgical dental treatment. With NADP Foundation’s support, this initiative will lay the groundwork for sustainable solutions to address Maine’s urgent pediatric oral health crisis.
Rady Children's will utilize the generous grant from NADP Foundation to reduce barriers to dental care for children with chronic health conditions—particularly children who face economic, linguistic, transportation, and other barriers to care—and improve their long-term oral health. Specifically, Rady Children’s will: 1) significantly improve its ability to provide one-on-one support to families facing barriers to oral health care; 2) train primary care providers to become partners in promoting early oral health care practices for pediatric patients; 3) conduct community outreach about the importance of oral health care.
“We are excited to support these groundbreaking projects that have the potential to make significant strides in improving access to oral healthcare,” said Foundation President and NADP Executive Director Mike Adelberg. “By investing in research and community-based initiatives, we are fostering innovative solutions that will help bridge gaps in care and enhance the overall well-being of our communities.”
About the NADP Foundation
The NADP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organized in 1997. In 2023, the Foundation registered as a public charity in the state of Massachusetts. The NADP Foundation promotes the oral health of Americans through increased access to dental services.
About NADP
NADP is the largest non-profit trade association focused exclusively on the dental benefits industry. NADP members provide dental HMO, dental PPO, dental indemnity, and dental savings plan products to more than 200 million Americans with dental benefits. NADP members include the entire spectrum of dental carriers: companies that provide both medical and dental coverage, companies that provide only dental coverage, major national carriers, regional, and single state companies, as well as companies organized as non-profit plans.
CONTACT:
Michael Adelberg
NADP Foundation President
NADP Executive Director
(972) 457-1554
madelberg@nadp.org
