Oklahoma Health Care Authority Releases SoonerSelect Dental Request for Proposals

Oklahoma City, OK – The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is seeking proposals to implement a comprehensive dental care delivery system for the agency’s new health care model, SoonerSelect. This partnership will allow OHCA to leverage the resources of contracted entities to enhance the level of service SoonerCare members receive by investing in enhanced care coordination and social determinants of health which will lead to improved health outcomes for SoonerCare members. 

OHCA will choose at least two contracted entities for dental services. Contracted entities can include accountable care organizations, provider-led entities, commercial plans and/or dental benefit managers. The selected organizations will be required to have an Oklahoma presence including key staff and call center operations. 

“It is common for these contracted organizations to be heavily invested in infrastructure, including technology, staffing and research on best practices to coordinate care for members,” said Traylor Rains, OHCA State Medicaid Director. “All dental plans will be required to provide SoonerSelect members the same dental care services currently offered by SoonerCare but may offer extra benefits to help improve the health of our members.” 

OHCA’s mission statement expresses the importance of optimizing accessibility and quality of health care and improving health outcomes for Oklahomans. 

However, the most recent Oral Health Report Card evaluating Oklahoma’s oral health, graded Oklahoma a D. Less than 50% of children ages 1-20, enrolled in Medicaid, received any preventative oral care. 66% percent of Oklahoma third graders experienced tooth decay. 

“We are re-imagining how dental services can be delivered to Oklahomans who rely on SoonerCare for their health care coverage. We are excited for the opportunity to work alongside highly qualified contracted entities who can bring the additional level of resources and support needed to increase access to dental care for the members we serve,” said Kevin Corbett, Secretary of Health and Mental Health and CEO of OHCA. 

The transition in health care delivery will also allow the State to achieve the following payment and delivery system reform goals: 

• Improve health outcomes for Oklahomans 
• Move toward value-based payment 
• Improve SoonerCare member satisfaction 
• Contain costs by investing in preventive and primary care 
• Increase cost predictability to the State 

“I am proud of the collaborative work that has been done to get us to this point, but we aren’t finished yet. We will continue to work with our partners to prioritize health care access and quality health outcomes for SoonerCare members as we always have,” said Corbett. “We have intently studied states where this model of health care delivery is successful. We consulted other state’s Medicaid agencies and health care providers. We are using the lessons they learned to ensure a smooth transition and positive results.” 

The new Dental Request for Proposals (RFP) is now available on OHCA’s website for submission of questions. The Dental RFP bidding process will end on Oct. 31, 2022. The contracts will be awarded and announced early next year. The Medical Request for Proposals will be available for submission of questions later.  

SoonerSelect’s anticipated implementation date is Oct. 1, 2023, subject to the requirements and approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

To view the Dental RFP, visit https://oklahoma.gov/ohca/about/procurement.