Your dental health is an essential part of your overall well being. As such, it’s crucial to go for regular dental checkups and have preventative maintenance done. However, this can be quite costly for anyone without dental insurance. Medicaid is the primary vehicle for dental cover among low-income families. Determining whether Medicaid covers specific dental procedures requires some investigation as the included treatments vary by state and reason. So, does Medicaid cover dental bridges? This article will go over what Medicaid is and what it covers in terms of dental services.
What is Medicaid?
Medicaid is a low-cost or free health insurance coverage to certain categories of people with low incomes, including children, adults, the elderly, pregnant women and individuals with disabilities. Health insurance becomes more important as you get older. Medicaid is funded by both the state and the government. While federal rules require state Medicaid programs to cover comprehensive dental services for children, coverage for adults is optional and varies by the type of service you need and where you live.
The federal government sets a minimum standard and gives each state the room to extend benefits – and many states have varying options for dental care. So, does Medicaid cover dental bridges? Well, that depends. States often choose to offer adults a limited set of covered services or no coverage at all. Each state has varying qualifications and requirements that must be met to be covered by Medicaid. You’ll need to carry out some research to find the specific requirements of your state.
Less than half the states provide comprehensive dental benefits. However, the benefits covered also vary in duration, total amount and scope of coverage. For instance, in 32 states, Medicaid will cover dental care for certain categories, such as medically necessary dental work and emergency dental services.
Medically Necessary Dental Work
As a primary health insurance program, Medicaid will include some surgery’s necessary for medical health. Some of the work included would be treatments required in correlation with other medical services covered under the program, certain diseases, and work needed to fix non-biting issues. Currently, dental care that’s medically necessary will be covered by Medicaid for all 50 states. However, the state has the power to determine whether or not a procedure is medically necessary.
Emergency Dental Services
Emergency dental services would refer to any necessary dental procedure that would provide immediate pain relief from a suffering person. This may include any services needed to get rid of infections or control bleeding, and any emergency treatment needed for an injury to the gums or teeth.
For children and individuals under the age of 21, most dental services are required to be provided by Medicaid. This would typically cover any pre screening or preventative care, diagnostics and treatment. On the other hand, Medicaid will at least cover medically necessary dental work and emergencies for adults over the age of 21.
Bottom Line
Over the years, there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of oral health to overall wellbeing. Despite difficult fiscal periods, states continue to maintain and offer more relatively comprehensive benefits for their Medicaid populations. However, it’s up to you to research, “Does Medicaid cover dental bridges?” and what other coverage from Medicaid or Medicare you might be eligible for.