Advocates File Suit Against Massachusetts Over Access to Dental Care

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 02 Mar 2005 - 12:00 PDT

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Health advocates have sued the Massachusetts government alleging it failed to adopt changes to its... MassHealth Medicaid program that would have made it easier for those enrolled in the program to receive dental care, the Boston Globe reports. According to members of Health Care for All who filed the suit in federal court, the 500,000 low-income children enrolled in the program have to wait months, and in some cases years, before they are able to make an appointment for dental care. In addition, low payments to dentists and claims submission policies have deterred some dentists from participating in the program. Fewer than 800 of the state's 5,000 dentists treat patients enrolled in Medicaid, according to state records. Janice Yost, president of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, said other problems stem from the state requirement that "if a private-practice dentist takes one MassHealth child, they have to take all who want to come." She asked, "Who's going to be the first dentist to step forward and take children who are not paying his costs?" Assistant Attorney General James Arguin said in court, "We do admit there's a problem; we do admit there's room for improvement." He added that the state "must do a better job of reducing the time new patients spend waiting for nonemergency care." However, Arguin said that the state has not violated federal rules requiring federally supported health care programs to offer care comparable to that of private plans (Smith, Boston Globe, 2/28).

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