title: Update on federally qualified health maintenance organizations in providing dental care services. Council on Dental Care Programs.
abstract: The combined survey results indicate that 27 of the 99 federally qualified HMOs, as of Sept 30, 1979, offered comprehensive dental services to plan members as a supplemental benefit, usually available on an optional basis for an additional premium. The number of HMOs (and, hence, eventual dental involvement) is likely to increase for several reasons: renewed commitment by the Administration to increased financial, promotional, and technical support for the HMO program; aggressive advertising campaigns spearheaded by the federal government to raise public awareness, understanding, and acceptance of the HMO concept; increased efforts to enroll federal employees, as well as Medicare and Medicaid recipients; additional support from business and labor concerned with the escalating costs of health care; and further involvement by Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans and commercial insurance carriers.
mesh_terms: D003729:Dental Care; D003752:Dental Health Services; D003813:Dentistry; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States