Looming Medicaid cuts could reverse progress that has been made to expand access to dental care in the U.S., healthcare leaders are warning.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to lead to a decrease in Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The bill has been criticized by many organizations, with many leaders denouncing the bill’s cuts to healthcare. Dental organizations have criticized the budget for its potential impact on Medicaid, with the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health calling the bill’s passage a “dangerous setback” for dentistry.
Michael Curry, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, warned last year that states could choose to no longer cover dental services under Medicaid because these are optional benefits. Some states have already begun considering such changes as a way to save money, including Idaho, Colorado and Massachusetts.
KFF recently estimated the amount of Medicaid funding cuts each state could be hit with over the next 10 years. Below is the average amount each state could lose, along with the estimated percentage of 10-year baseline federal spending:
Alabama: $3 billion (4%)
Alaska: $2 billion (11%)
Arizona: $34 billion (18%)
Arkansas: $8 billion (11%)
California: $150 billion (17%)
Colorado: $12 billion (14%)
Connecticut: $11 billion (15%)
Delaware: $4 billion (14%)
Florida: $14 billion (5%)
Georgia: $8 billion (6%)
Hawaii: $4 billion (15%)
Idaho: $3 billion (9%)
Illinois: $46 billion (19%)
Indiana: $20 billion (13%)
Iowa: $9 billion (17%)
Kansas: $3 billion (9%)
Kentucky: $22 billion (15%)
Louisiana: $27 billion (20%)
Maine: $3 billion (8%)
Maryland: $14 billion (12%)
Massachusetts: $17 billion (11%)
Michigan: $32 billion (17%)
Minnesota: $19 billion (15%)
Mississippi: $3 billion (6%)
Missouri: $14 billion (12%)
Montana: $3 billion (14%)
Nebraska: $3 billion (11%)
Nevada: $8 billion (19%)
New Hampshire: $2 billion (15%)
New Jersey: $29 billion (18%)
New Mexico: $10 billion (13%)
New York: $102 billion (16%)
North Carolina: $23 billion (11%)
North Dakota: $1 billion (11%)
Ohio: $33 billion (13%)
Oklahoma: $13 billion (16%)
Oregon: $22 billion (19%)
Pennsylvania: $46 billion (15%)
Rhode Island: $4 billion (16%)
South Carolina: $4 billion (6%)
South Dakota: $846 million (9%)
Tennessee: $7 billion (7%)
Texas: $31 billion (8%)
Utah: $5 billion (14%)
Vermont: $2 billion (10%)
Virginia: $29 billion (18%)
Washington: $27 billion (18%)
West Virginia: $5 billion (11%)
Wisconsin: $7 billion (8%)
Wyoming: $184 million (4%)
