September 26th 2023.
The government is finally taking steps to make dental care more affordable. ABC news has reported that states are now beginning to provide dental coverage for adults through their Medicaid programs. Until recently, these federal and state insurance programs only covered dental care for children.
Hawaii, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland, and New Hampshire are the latest states to begin or expand their dental coverage. Tennessee is also on board, spending close to $75 million annually on the program.
Unfortunately, even with these advancements, many states are struggling to find dentists willing to work with Medicaid patients. In some cases, HBCUs have come to the rescue. Carlton Clemons, 67, experienced severe pain from a rotting wisdom tooth but after being treated at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, he was feeling much better. “Man, I thought I had made it to heaven because the pain was over,” Clemons said. “When they did pull it out, I was so happy. I was so glad. Everything just changed after that.”
Other states, such as Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Utah, and Louisiana, are providing limited benefits due to eligibility protocols, which have caused many beneficiaries to be removed from Medicaid after eligibility reviews. There is also the challenge of getting dentists certified under Medicaid, which can take up to four months.
States that have implemented the program are doing their best to make sure their residents have the dental care they need. New Hampshire is spending over $33 million over 12 months to provide dental care to 88,000 Medicaid recipients, while Kansas is spending $3.5 million in 2022 and $1.2 million in 2023 to cover 137,000 recipients. Furthermore, a Texas A&M University study has found that providing this kind of preventative care can save states money. Treatment for preventable dental issues accounts for nearly 3% of emergency room visits at a price tag of $2 billion a year.
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