OHA: Healthcare reform halts dental Medicaid cuts

Mar 28, 2010

The healthcare reform bill that U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law March 23 will stop further cuts to adult dental Medicaid benefits, according to Oral Health America (OHA).

OHA issued a press release praising the bill, which has also been cheered by the American Dental Education Association and the Children's Dental Health Project, but booed by the ADA and the Academy of General Dentistry.

"Oral Health America supports the numerous measures of the healthcare reform bill that represent real commitment on the part of our lawmakers to improve our nation's oral health," stated Beth Truett, the organization's president and CEO, in the release. "This is a great start, and we look forward to continued health reform opportunities to ensure that all Americans are able to obtain the preventive and restorative care they need."

The law expands eligibility for Medicaid, raising the threshold from 133% of the federal poverty level, meaning an additional 16 million people will be eligible for Medicaid coverage, according to OHA.

Medicaid dental benefits for adults are still optional for states to provide or not, but states can no longer drop dental benefit packages they currently offer, the OHA noted.

Prior to the passage of the bill, Arizona was the last state in a national trend to drop its adult Medicaid dental program and the first to drop its Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), depriving 38,000 low-income children of benefits.

But the most significant provisions in the bill guarantee oral health coverage for children and offer resources for preventive measures, OHA said, adding that, "Over time, the bill's provisions can help to increase access to care for all ages."

OHA also noted provisions that help extend access to preventive care, allow for school-based sealant programs in all 50 states, and educate vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and older Americans about oral health.

OHA also pointed to a total of $60 million to be awarded to up to 15 programs to train or employ alternative dental health providers.