Dental practices could see significant revenue losses if Medicaid funding is cut, according to a March 11 report from the Urban Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed its budget blueprint for Fiscal Year 2025, which calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in spending cuts. The Energy and Commerce Committee, which is responsible for matters related to public health and the Department of Health and Human Services, is specifically being asked to cut $880 billion, leading many government officials and healthcare workers to believe that cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs are likely.
The new report projects that nearly 11 million people would lose their coverage if states that expanded Medicaid eligibility over the past decade drop the program in response to federal cuts. The elimination of these programs would lead to an $80 billion decrease in healthcare spending in 2026.
The report also suggests that there would be a $20.7 billion decrease in spending for other healthcare services, including dental care.
