AUGUSTA - On Friday, as a result of a bill from Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Biddeford, over 200,000 Mainers will have access to dental care coverage. Starting July 1, dental care-including preventative care, restorative care, and diagnostic carewill be available to Mainers with MaineCare insurance. This model will replace emergency-only dental coverage.
Previously, Maine was one of only ten states providing emergency-only dental treatment through Medicaid. Under that model, Maine paid up to $17 million in avoidable emergency room care annually. Plus, Mainers with low incomes could only access dental care through Medicaid in emergency situations such as serious pain or infections, often resulting in more dire and costly health issues that could've been avoided if preventative dental care was available.
In 2021, the effort received bipartisan support when public health experts and economists agreed that the investment would save the state money and contribute to positive health outcomes for Maine people. With additional Mainers gaining access to dental care, statewide health outcomes are expected to improve overall.
"Starting today, over 200,000 more Maine people will be covered and have new access to dental care, an important part of overall health care. I think about all the people who've faced barriers to employment because of their oral health issues. Thanks to their voices, Maine is changing that!" said Speaker Fecteau. "This is just one way that lawmakers have worked to expand access to health care in Maine. Our previous system had forced people to use the emergency room when their teeth reached the point of no return, which was costing folks their dignity and health. The stories I heard were simply heartbreaking. As of today, the Mainers who were willing to share their stories have helped changed the face of health care in our state."
"With MaineCare covering 1 in 4 people in Maine, this new dental coverage combined with higher reimbursement rates will benefit hundreds of thousands of Maine people," said DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew. "Oral health is critical to general health and to participating in the community and the workforce. Were grateful to the Governor, Speaker Fecteau and the Legislature, and our partners throughout the state for making this important benefit a reality."
"This is a game changer for oral health equity. Oral health is essential to overall health and well-being and access to care should be available to all Mainers," said Bryan Wyatt of Maine Primary Care Association. "Today marks a huge step in the right direction for our state."
"In rural Washington County Maine, we understand how important it is to have access to comprehensive dental care regardless of one's economic status," said Yazhou Zhang, DDS, Dentist at St. Croix Regional Family Health Center in Princeton. "We are excited that the dental benefit will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of adults, including those living in recovery throughout our state."
"I see the systematic impacts on Mainers every day in my work at Lincoln County Dental. Access to high quality, compassionate and comprehensive oral health care is critical to ones overall health. Just like with Medicaid expansion, this new dental benefit is great news for those who want and need affordable health care. This will help Mainers live healthier and fuller lives," said Rep. Holly Stover-D of Boothbay.
"I have seen diabetic patients who experienced chronic dental disease. Some have had dental infections so advanced that they required ICU management for generalized sepsis and airway obstruction, and life-threatening lung infections," said Dr. Barbara Covey, Emergency Department Physician and President of the Board of Waterville Community Dental Center. "What Maine is doing will improve both the health and economy of our community. It provides a far better use of our health care dollars than what we had: an emergency-only MaineCare benefit."
"I know from experience that when money is tight and you're struggling to afford basic expenses like rent, going to the dentist cant be a priority," said Rep. Supica-D of Bangor. "Dental care is health care. Including dental services under MaineCare is going to improve the health and quality of life outcomes for low income Mainers across the state. These people matter."
"Oral disease does not discriminate based on socioeconomic strata, said Dr. Wendy Alpaugh, a Dentist from Stonington. "Barriers to dental care are formidable for those without the means to be seen by a dental professional. Leveling the playing field is a win for society. It will take some time for more and more providers to start accepting MaineCare. I am hopeful the provider network will grow from 2022 to 2023. Maine increased rates for providers which makes it more realistic for providers to participate. So many of us believe in this work."
In 2012, the MaineCare Redesign Task Force convened by then-Commissioner Mayhew concluded that MaineCare provided $17 million in emergency room care that could have been avoided if patients had received preventative dental treatment. Nine years later in 2021, the Legislature passed LD 996, the bill to replace that model, and Governor Mills funded it.
After the bill passed, Maine DHHS and a team at MaineCare went to work with providers, advocates, and impacted Mainers to implement this expansion of coverage. It is estimated that the economic impact of dental care expansion will be $21.6 million, with nearly 50% of the impact in rural areas. Thanks to this change in law, Maine will also be eligible for federal matching funds.
To find a nearby provider that is already accepting MaineCare, contact MaineCare member services at 1-800-977-6740 or dial 711. Additional Maine providers are expected to join the network in the coming months.
Jenna Howard (Fecteau), 214-3185,