SUFFOLK, Va. — For some people the thought of going to a dentist is scary enough, but for others, it's the cost that's teeth chattering! Especially if they're uninsured or under-insured. Here in Virginia, there are several clinics that have refused care to patients according to a recent report to the Virginia General Assembly.
In the US there are currently more than 70 million people enrolled on Medicaid.
That means the state and federal government pay for the cost of care.
According to the American Dental Association, people enrolled are typically classified as low-income individuals.
Benefits they receive exists to help families, senior citizens, and adults with and without disabilities, but they're not perfect.
In a recent report from the Department of Medical Assistance Services, about 73 percent of Virginia's Dentistry Workforce didn't treat anyone on medicaid or Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) in 2022.
According to the American Dental Association, there's some concerns offices have with accepting it. Some of which include high no show rates, complying with medicaid regulations, low reimbursement rates and transportation challenges to name a few according to the ADA.
Western Tidewater Free Clinic in Suffolk is one of the few offices in Hampton Roads that accept patients on Medicaid. And it's not just a dentist office, it's a one stop shop. Executive Director Ashley Greene says the uninsured and under-insured are accepted, especially services in the realm of dentistry.
"We provide medical care, dental care, we have vision, mental health, prescriptions and we have access to specialists both on site and off site," says Greene.
Greene says the services offered by the clinic could be extremely costly elsewhere.
"We are able to do most all basic dental care. We do quite a lot of extractions and a lot of that is just because of need. However we have a really strong denture program as well, so that helps with those patients who have to have extractions, we added specialists to do a crown," explains Greene
Recently, a bill known as S.570, or the Medicaid Dental Benefits Act of 2023, was introduced by Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland. If approved, it would mean that dental Medicaid coverage would be mandatory for adults across the US.
But while clinics across the US wait for this to pass, the American Dental Association argues that damage is still being done. The lack of access to basic preventative services can result in sooner than later dental pain and poor oral health, which isn't anything to smile about.
"Good hygiene, good dental care contributes to the health of your whole body," says Greene.
Which is why Western Tidewater Free Clinic says there's an expansion of their current dental clinic set to break ground next week.
The free clinic anticipates the expansion being complete by September of 2023.
