Challenges with Medicaid

Medicaid is an essential part of the dental experience for millions of Americans. The system itself is one that doesn’t lack complexity. Like any system large in size and ambition, it doesn’t come without its critics and flaws. Dr. Chris Hasty, vice chair of the ADA’s Dentist Committee shared some of his thoughts about the system. He recognized and highlighted some of the difficulties, such as closed networks, low rates of reimbursement, down coding, endless paperwork, bureaucratic hoops, archaic filing requirements, limits on procedures covered, and RAC audits. 

Studies have been conducted to determine what the difficulties are for most families relating to Medicaid for children specifically in the dental field. One such study, completed by Mahyar Mofidi and others selected eleven focus groups. Seventy-seven caregivers of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds participated. The findings showed that “Negative experiences with the dental care system discouraged many caregivers in the focus groups from obtaining dental services for their Medicaid-insured children.” The search for providers, the ability to arrange an appointment where services were limited, and other difficulties left the caregivers exhausted and understandably discouraged. Caregivers who successfully navigated these barriers found additional barriers including long wait times. The operative query is: how do we eliminate these constraints for as many caregivers as possible?

Why the Success of Medicaid is Important

Do you know what the most common health problem affecting children in the United States is? According to a report by the Surgeon General, dental disease is the most common problem in the health of children. Dental caries is the most prevalent type of dental disease in children. It occurs more often with disadvantaged children than others. However, even those with public insurance have great difficulty gaining access to primary dental care services. Fewer than one in every five children enrolled in Medicaid use preventive services in a given year. Even worse, fewer children with Medicaid insurance receive comprehensive dental care beyond the initial preventive visit. 

A truly functional and fair Medicaid system should not be a hindrance, rather, it should be something to strive for. Simply put, the more children who receive dental care, the better. Medicaid beneficiaries often may not be connected to a dentist’s office or may be unaware of their dental benefits. Efforts through programs directed to spread knowledge regarding Medicaid for children are extremely important as states look to increase the number of children receiving proper dental care. 

It is important for parents to teach children the correct way to care for teeth and make sure that the child is visiting his or her dentist at a very early age for regular cleanings and checkups. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly fifty percent of children under the age of twelve have some form of tooth decay. Good oral habits learned at a young age are more likely to lead to good oral health as an adult and throughout life. Using such a system, children have a better chance of avoiding many of the problems that result from poor oral health, including cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay.  An effective, easy to use Medicaid system will help children develop healthy habits to care for their teeth while they are young. Through education about Medicaid for children and the continued improvement of the Medicaid system, simply put, more children will have better oral health. At Wabash Valley Children’s Dentistry, we consider this to be very important. 

Why We Accept Medicaid

Here at Wabash Valley Children’s Dentistry, the dental care of your child is of the utmost importance to us. We do everything that we can to maintain your oral and overall health. We are dedicated to ensuring that dental care is made easy and accessible to your children. We strive to be compassionate, helpful, and communicative at all times. Your needs come first, and we work with you to help you receive the dental care that you need. Because of this, we accept Medicaid at our office and can help you to determine how you can best utilize Medicaid to meet the oral health needs of your child. We make every effort to keep wait times to a minimum and organize our schedule to adapt to the schedules of our patients. In addition, we have all of our forms online, so that you can prepare them in advance, to convenience you. We are in this together. Please contact us if you have any questions about how we can help you navigate the Medicaid process and set up an appointment today.