The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is warning that the recently passed budget package could be detrimental to oral health access in the U.S.
Four notes:
1. President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4.
2. The bill is expected to increase the national debt by $3.3 trillion, and lead to a decrease in Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion. The number of uninsured individuals is expected to grow by 11.8 million more people by 2034.
3. The legislation has been criticized by many healthcare organizations, with many leaders denouncing the bill’s cuts to healthcare.
4. Melissa Burroughs, the senior director of public policy for CareQuest, said provisions of the bill will make it more difficult for individuals to afford dental care and manage diseases linked to oral health.
“The passage of this legislation marks a dangerous setback for Medicaid and the millions of people who rely on it for essential health care, which includes oral health,” Ms. Burroughs said in a news release. “Deep cuts to Medicaid funding, new work requirements, and caps on the mechanisms that states use to fund the program threaten to drastically reduce access to care across the country … At a time when we should be improving access to prevention and care, this bill moves in the wrong direction. We urge Congress to prioritize policies that protect and strengthen access to oral healthcare–not dismantle it.”
