Dear Editor:
On Jan. 5, Gov. Nixon made an announcement oral health advocates, dental providers and adults currently eligible for Missouri Medicaid have longed to hear: Missouri will move forward with providing Missouri Medicaid adult dental benefits. Although we now must wait up to 90 days for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to approve this change, the governor has taken the important first step. We are grateful to the governor and the Missouri General Assembly for moving this essential health care policy. Our heartfelt thanks to both!
Adult dental benefits were cut from Missouri Medicaid in 2005. In the ensuing years we have seen increased use of emergency rooms for untreated dental conditions that could have been managed through basic and routine oral health preventive and treatment services.
Emergency rooms provide many great services, but dental care is not provided. Antibiotics and pain killers are provided, which provide relief, but do not resolve dental issues, making return emergency room visits likely. The flood of people with untreated dental conditions in emergency rooms signals a poorly organized health care system that features inefficient use of limited resources.
The governor made a wise choice to move forward with the budget passed by the Legislature. Implementing adult dental benefits will save the state money, make Medicaid recipients more likely to maintain the health status necessary to work, curb the pain of untreated dental conditions and make it easier for dental providers to provide regular oral health; over time Missouri should begin to see a reduction of emergency room use for dental conditions.
The Legislature passed a state budget last session that included one-time funding for dental benefits in Medicaid. If we are to reap the full advantages and savings of the provision of dental benefits, it must be a permanent part of the health care system that is backed up with consistent funding in the Missouri budget. Missouri funds for Medicaid dental benefits will be matched with federal funds, making this change financially easier for the state. We call on the governor and the Legislature to make funding for adult dental benefits a permanent part of Missouri's state budget.
Oral health advocates, including many in the Missouri Legislature, have worked diligently. We are happy to reach this important moment and will continue to advocate until Missouri's oral health is a priority for everyone.
Movie title
Grade: grade here
Cast: cast here
Director: director here
Rating: rating here
Running time: minutes
Showtimes and Ticket Info