While dental care often is seen as routine, the poor often go without any care for years or even decades. Doing so has significant costs, both to taxpayers and to those who cannot afford treatment.
One study from Texas A&M University found that treatment for preventable dental conditions represents up to 2.5% of emergency room visits, at a cost of $2 billion a year. An additional $45 billion is lost year in productivity in the United States annually from untreated oral disease, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There is an increasing understanding that oral health is inseparable from health care,” said New Hampshire Democratic Rep. Joe Schapiro, who was the prime sponsor of the expanded dental benefits bill. “The amount of money spent on other health care problems that are related to oral health and the amount of money spent on emergency care when people can’t get any kind of preventive or restorative care is not only unfortunate for those people’s health but cost a tremendous amount of money.
While advocates are welcoming these changes, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Utah and Louisiana still only offer limited benefits. Most states, though, cover between 30% and 50% with Alaska and North Dakota covering at least 55% and Delaware, 76.9%. He wants to hire more dentists but said it can take upward of four months to get one certified under Medicaid. He also is struggling with a Medicaid billing system that routinely rejects some claims and he said there is “a lot of inconsistency over what is approved and what is denied.”
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Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residentsA growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems.
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Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residentsA growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems
Read more »
Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residentsA growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems
Read more »
Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residentsA growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems.
Read more »
Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residentsA growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems.
Read more »