Maine expands Medicaid dental coverage for 217,000 adults
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Starting July 1, MaineCare members age 21 or older will be automatically enrolled in a new dental benefit announced by Gov. Mills on Wednesday.
More than 217,000 adults in Maine will become eligible for MaineCare dental coverage, in an expansion announced by Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday.
Under an emergency rule from Maine's Department of Health and Human Services, MaineCare members will be automatically enrolled in the new Medicaid dental benefit, which goes into effect Friday, July 1.
In total, the Mills administration is investing $45 million in oral health, for both the expanded benefit and new dental reimbursement rates that take effect July 1.
The department plans to propose a permanent rule in July.
Mills proposed the expansion of adult dental benefits in Maine's 2022-23 biennial budget following the Health and Human Services Committee’s unanimous support of a bill (LD 996) introduced by state Rep. Ryan Fecteau, D-District 11, Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.
Friday’s launch of the new benefit follows almost a year of work by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services alongside dental providers and other state oral health leaders to develop rules to implement the law. The department said it will work with and encourage dental providers to increase the number of MaineCare members they serve, as part of a broad effort to boost access to care, especially in rural areas.
The benefit covers a comprehensive array of dental services, from cleanings and fillings to root canals, dentures and other critical services. Previously, coverage for adults was limited to emergency situations, such as tooth extractions. MaineCare has and continues to provide comprehensive dental coverage for children.
“Dental health is an important part of overall health,” Mills said. “Providing preventive and routine dental care will not only improve the health and wellness of hundreds of thousands of Maine people, but it will also save money in the long-run by preventing the need for expensive emergency care. I am glad to have worked with the Legislature to expand dental care for Maine people.”
MaineCare currently covers one in four Mainers, noted Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, who underscored that oral health is critical to both general health and to participating in the community and workforce.
Editor's note: Article updated to show that the $45 investment includes both the coverage expansion for adults plus higher MaineCare reimbursement rates.
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