Examining The Effects of Expanding The Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit
The Department of Health Policy recently prepared an evaluation report for the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) that examined the effects of the expanded Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit on Emergency Department utilization in Virginia hospitals for non-traumatic dental visits. Presented to DMAS in March 2025, the report was authored by Department of Health […]
Considering the neighborhood context: The relationship between food and housing insecurity and healthcare use among Virginia Medicaid expansion members
For a new article published by Health Services Research, several VCU Department of Health Policy faculty members, students, and alums collaborated with other faculty from the VCU School Of Public Health and several officials from the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to examine the relationships between healthcare use and food and housing insecurity […]
Healthcare Policy PhD candidate and School of Dentistry Associate Professor examines the impact of Medicaid dental policies
Shillpa Naavaal, an associate professor in the VCU School of Dentistry, hopes to promote strong oral health policies with the help of a five-year grant from the NIH. by Joan Tupponce Shillpa Naavaal’s concern for Virginians who need the most dental care but receive the least has been at the root of her research for […]
Study: Virginia Medicaid expansion increased financial security for enrollees
By Meghan McIntyre, Virginia Mercury Chesterfield resident Geneva Gordon was forced to file for bankruptcy after receiving a $21,000 hospital bill for a reconstructive wrist surgery while uninsured. Leaving her previous job left her without insurance, living paycheck to paycheck and constantly worrying about getting sick and adding to her growing medical debt. Gordon has […]
Leaders discuss key strategies to increase payment parity in Virginia health care
Leaders from various health care silos discussed potential strategies to increase payment parity at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Virtual Colloquium Addressing Health Equity last week. A 2019 survey from the Virginia Center for Health Innovation found over 55% of surveyed adults in Virginia experienced health care affordability hardships in the last one to two years prior to the […]
