Participating in Medicaid

The ADA encourages dentists to offer services for Medicaid-eligible patients as a way to expand dental care for all.

Medicaid and the dental care safety net

Nearly 76 million individuals are currently enrolled in Medicaid. As part of our efforts to ensure quality dental care for everyone, the ADA encourages dentists to participate in Medicaid.

The ADA Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention seeks regular guidance and support from its Medicaid Provider Advisory Committee (MPAC). Chaired by Dr. Sidney Whitman since 2011, this committee offers tools for dental professionals who want to treat Medicaid-eligible patients. In addition, the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI) offers webinars and white papers for professionals who want to learn more about Medicaid enrollment, outcomes and trends.

Dr. Howard Elson: Why I am a Medicaid provider

Medicaid Provider Reference Guide

Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of low-income Americans, including eligible adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. As of 2021, there are nearly 76 million individuals enrolled in Medicaid.

Medicaid represents $1 out of every $6 spent on health care in the U.S. and is the primary source of funding for states to address the health needs of low-income residents.

Medicaid is jointly funded by states and the federal government. As the third largest domestic program in the federal budget — right behind Medicare and Social Security — the program plays a unique role in state budgets. As a result of this joint financing structure, Medicaid acts as both an expenditure and the largest source of federal revenue in state budgets.

States are required to balance their budgets on a regular basis, making choices about program spending and how much revenue to collect. Balancing these competing priorities creates an ever-present tension that ultimately affects Medicaid and CHIP.

The EPSDT benefit provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. This benefit is key to ensuring that children and adolescents receive appropriate medical and dental care. Overall goals are:

• To assess and identify problems early
• To check children's health at periodic, age-appropriate intervals
• To provide screening tests to detect potential problems
• To perform diagnostic tests when risks are identified
• To control, correct or reduce health issues uncovered by testing

Yet even with these goals in place, only around 45% of eligible children actually see a dentist. Since we know the value of early, family-centered care in reducing the lifetime incidence of tooth decay, this is a serious concern. The ADA supports ongoing efforts to ensure that EPSDT-eligible patients receive the comprehensive care they need.

Here are helpful resources on children’s dental care from Medicaid.gov, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other organizations.

Even though oral health is crucial to overall health, Medicaid programs often treat dental care as an elective option. Allocation of state Medicaid dollars for dental services averages about 2% of the total Medicaid budget. Cutting Medicaid dental benefits may be a symbolic cost-reduction mechanism for many states, yet it clearly harms those who need preventive dental care the most.

According to the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI), Medicaid-eligible adults represent a growing share of the U.S. population. Many of these individuals urgently need dental care – and with the number of privately insured patients shrinking, some dentists find that treating Medicaid patients isn’t an option, but a necessity to keep their practices going.

Some dental professionals provide care for large numbers of Medicaid-eligible adults. Others accept a modest number of these patients, encouraged by “Take Five” programs that have proven useful in several states.

Many dentists are reluctant to treat Medicaid patients, citing these concerns:

• Low reimbursement rates
• Administrative burdens
• Worries about complying with Medicaid regulations
• Perception that no-show rates will be high
• Lack of clear information about existing dental benefits
• Transportation challenges that patients may face
• Issues of cultural competency, including language barriers
• Need to educate this patient group about the benefits of regular oral care

Working alongside other stakeholders, the ADA is engaging state dental associations and Medicaid programs to address these concerns. For example, the ADA’s Council on Dental Benefit Programs has developed a sample template for working with states that contract with third-party administrators of managed care plans. By clearly stating expectations, responsibilities and risk-sharing, all parties know what to expect and who will be held accountable within the contract. This is critical, since Medicaid audits are becoming more frequent.

Several states have made real progress in convincing more dental providers to accept Medicaid patients, using incentives such as modest increases in reimbursement rates. Challenges and best practices are gathered and shared with other states to widen the dental safety net nationwide.

The first rule of dental care documentation is that if something isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist. Dentists who see Medicaid patients must be sure to fully document the care they provide.

Dentists are well-trained to document the steps they take, but it’s equally important to establish medical necessity. This means confirming that the appropriate treatment and supplies were chosen in order to evaluate and treat a specific condition, illness or injury. Documentation should confirm the rationale for the procedure in alignment with the Current Dental Terminology (CDT) Code.

Depending on the situation, dentists may need to document that care was necessary to:

• Eliminate or prevent orofacial disease, infection or pain
• Restore form and function to dentition
• Correct facial disfigurement or dysfunction

Here are helpful resources on documentation and fraud awareness.