dental safety net

Published on

New York Amsterdam News

…For many, Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income individuals and people with disabilities, can serve as a lifeline for accessing affordable dental care. Jointly funded by the federal government and state governments, Medicaid provides comprehensive dental care to children under the age of 21; coverage for adults varies by state. Only 11 states (not including New York) and Washington, D.C., provide extensive dental coverage for adults, according to data published by the CareQuest Institute.

Barriers to Medicaid acceptance

Finding a dental provider who accepts Medicaid can be a challenge. In New York State, the program reimburses participating dentists at about a third or less of average dental charges, according to 2024 data released by the American Dental Association. Only one-third of New York dentists accept Medicaid, according to a report by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at The State University of New York at Albany.

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Published on

Dentistry Today

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are a crucial component of the dental safety net and provide oral health services to those who might not otherwise have access to needed care, including low-income individuals, the uninsured, and Medicaid beneficiaries.

A new study from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) examines critical factors influencing the delivery of oral health services at FQHCs. The findings, recently published in the June issue of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, shed light on how workforce capacity, federal funding, and Medicaid policy shape access to dental care for underserved populations across the United States.

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