House Democrats Step Up Oversight Of Medicaid Dental Coverage For Children, NPR Reports

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Dentistry;  Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 10 May 2007 - 19:00 PDT

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Some congressional Democrats are pushing for increased enforcement of laws governing dental care for children enrolled in Medicaid after a 12-year-old Maryland boy died from complications related to an untreated tooth infection that spread to his brain, NPR's "Morning Edition" reports. All children enrolled in Medicaid are supposed to receive dental care. However, fewer than one in three children in the program visits a dentist annually, in part because of a shortage of dentists who accept Medicaid, "Morning Edition" reports.

At a recent House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee hearing, Dennis Smith -- director of Medicaid at CMS -- said states are responsible for the shortage of dentists because their Medicaid reimbursement rates are too low. "States control reimbursement rates," Smith said, adding, "It's the states who set how much they will pay their providers."

Reform Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) noted that Medicaid is jointly funded by states and the federal government, adding, "Have you ever asked the state[s] to increase their reimbursement levels? Have you ever told them they're breaking the law by not providing a sufficient reimbursement level to provide the care for those people who are eligible?"

Smith said his only enforcement option would be to withhold all federal Medicaid funding from a state. Sara Rosenbaum, a health policy researcher at George Washington University, said, "In Medicaid, oversight of current program operations may be far more important than changing the law" (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 5/7).

Audio of the segment is available online.

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