State legislators in Maine have proposed a budget agreement that includes new funding to provide preventive dental care to more than 200,000 adults under MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program.
Earlier this month, Maine's House and Senate passed a bill to allow people 21 or older under MaineCare to receive preventive, diagnostic and restorative care beginning in April 2022, costing the state an estimated $1.1 million.
The full legislature is expected to vote on the proposed budget June 30.
Previously, Maine was one of 10 states that only covered emergency dental care. In 2012, a task force estimated the state paid $17 million per year for dental-related emergency room visits.