Action Alert: Support Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit

Virginia's Medicaid adult dental benefit expands access to oral health care to over 750,000 patients. Improved access to preventive care and comprehensive treatment plans have improved health outcomes, reduced dental-related ER visits, and created associated cost savings across the health system.

The proposed budget includes a $2,000 annual per-person cap on coverage. Virginia would see delayed and incomplete care leading to worsened health outcomes and higher treatment costs, more often absorbed by hospitals and taxpayers after the cap is reached. Providers would struggle to provide quality care through limited treatment plans, discouraging Medicaid participation. We must maintain comprehensive coverage in Virginia to continue our trend of improving outcomes and cost savings across the health care system.

Support an amendment to remove this cap today and protect access to comprehensive oral health care. Join us in sending an email to legislators considering the budget in support of the Medicaid adult dental benefit.

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Your Message to the legislators

Dear (name and title inserted automatically),

I am writing to urge your support for Budget Item 291 #55h, which removes the proposed $2,000 annual cap on Virginia’s adult Medicaid dental benefit.

Virginia’s comprehensive adult dental benefit has expanded access to care for more than 750,000 adults and contributed to a reduction in costly dental-related emergency department visits and preventable surgical interventions. Limiting this benefit with a spending cap would reverse that progress.

When coverage is capped, patients delay care until conditions become emergencies, resulting in more extractions, higher treatment costs, and avoidable health complications. Adults with diabetes, heart disease, disabilities, or dual Medicare-Medicaid eligibility often exceed $2,000 in a single episode of care. Once the cap is reached, treatment stops, regardless of medical necessity, leaving the disease unmanaged for months.

A cap also undermines providers’ ability to complete treatment plans, discouraging Medicaid participation and placing additional strain on Virginia’s already limited dental workforce. Hospitals and taxpayers ultimately absorb the cost when preventable dental disease leads to emergency care.

Oral health is essential to overall health. Maintaining comprehensive coverage supports disease prevention, continuity of care, access to providers, and a sustained cost savings benefit across the health system.

I respectfully urge you to support Budget Item 291 #55h and protect access to comprehensive oral health care for Virginia’s Medicaid members.