Dental Care Needs for Children on Medicaid Unmet

According to a recent report by the Pew Charitable Trusts, privately insured children are almost 30% more likely to go to the dentist than their publicly insured peers, even though low-income children are almost twice as likely as wealthier children to develop cavities.

The report also found that, in 2011:

1. more than 14 million children on Medicaid nationwide did not receive dental services even though federal law requires Medicaid to provide dental benefits to enrolled children;
2. in 22 states, less than half of children on Medicaid received dental care; and
3. in Connecticut, more than one-third (35.6%) of children on Medicaid did not receive dental care.

The report attributes these numbers in part to the shortage of dentists who serve Medicaid patients. Dentists cite “low reimbursement rates” and “burdensome administrative procedures” among reasons for not participating in the program.