Here are eight updates on dental Medicaid benefits since May:
1. Massachusetts legislators agreed on a new state budget that includes a $1,750 annual cap on adult Medicaid dental services.
2. Nevada expanded its dental coverage for adult Medicaid recipients, giving more than 374,500 patients coverage for preventative and diagnostic services for the first time.
3. California’s 2026-27 state budget preserves Medi-Cal dental funding for another year, delaying $1 billion in proposed cuts until July 1, 2027.
4. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed two pieces of legislation that expand reimbursement options for services provided by public health dental hygienists.
5. New Colorado legislation that caps dental benefits and cuts reimbursement rates went into effect July 1.
6. The American Dental Association released a report showing that a pilot program increased dentist participation in Medicaid and expanded access to oral health care for beneficiaries.
7. The potential reduction in pediatric dental Medicaid coverage could lead to nearly 96,000 additional cases of dental caries and $86.5 million in additional healthcare costs, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.
8. Nebraska Medicaid recipients are facing challenges with scheduling appointments as the number of participating dentists has declined.
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