Adult Dental Benefits in Medicaid: Recent Experiences from Seven States
Oral health is an important part of overall health, however, access to dental coverage for low-income adults remains a challenge, particularly since these benefits are optional for state Medicaid programs. This brief summarizes policy lessons from seven states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington) that have recently added, reinstated, or enhanced their Medicaid adult dental benefits. These states took a variety of approaches—including incrementally extending benefits to populations like pregnant women—and all attempted to do so in a fiscally sustainable way that provides meaningful access for program enrollees. Important factors in their decisions included funding opportunities through the Affordable Care Act, personal engagement by high-level state policymakers, building on lessons from improvements to children’s access to dental care, and strong partnerships with dental associations and oral health coalitions.
Accompanying case studies provide an in-depth look at each state’s choices on adult dental benefits.
A companion webinar features a conversation with state officials from Colorado, Iowa, and Washington about their experience with Medicaid adult dental benefits.
This project was supported by the DentaQuest Foundation.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
