Washingtonians Rely on the Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit

Right now in Olympia, lawmakers are negotiating the details of the state's budget in the final days of the legislative session. With a difficult funding landscape and a large budget shortfall, we are fighting to protect the services that Washingtonians rely on. Among these is the Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit, which provides dental coverage for close to 15% of people in Washington.

We've already seen the troubling consequences of cutting this service - lawmakers eliminated the adult Medicaid dental benefit in 2011, following the 2008 recession. When it was restored in 2014, many patients faced a buildup of costly, severe problems, including long-term pain, broken teeth, tooth abscesses, unnecessary extractions, and gum disease. Dental health is linked to many other conditions and is an essential part of overall wellness. Oral disease can have serious consequences and is associated with conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, pneumonia, and pregnancy complications.

In addition to health consequences, cutting this benefit would cause downstream costs that wipe out any up-front savings. If the Legislature cuts the program, the state will not have the option to re-claim federal funding for it in the future, even if the program is reinstated. This will leave millions of dollars in federal funding out of reach.
Cutting a program that Washingtonians rely on to stay healthy is not the path out of the budget deficit, especially with other revenue options on the table. To weather the coming uncertainty, Washingtonians need to maintain access to the programs that help support their most basic needs. Tell your lawmakers to protect the health care safety net, and preserve the Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit!

Tell Lawmakers to protect the Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit! [[link removed]]


Statewide Poverty Action Network
1501 N 45th Street
Seattle, WA 98103
United States
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