Kentucky will expand dental care coverage under Medicaid beginning Jan. 1, 2023, the Louisville Courier Journal reported Oct. 20.
Gov. Andy Beshear said the state would expand adult coverage for dental, vision and hearing to increase workforce participation. The change will apply to nearly 900,000 adults enrollees. Children under the program are already offered this coverage.
The governor noted a lack of medical and dental care as a barrier to working. For example, almost 100 million work hours are lost each year in the U.S. because of emergency dental care, and dental pain is also a common trigger for addiction to opioids, the news organization reported.
The dental coverage will include dentures, implants, two annual cleanings, root canals, extractions, restorations and periodontics.