New Yorkers now have one more thing to smile about.
A historic settlement announced Monday will greatly expand dental coverage to New Yorkers with Medicaid, making it easier to afford crowns, root canals, dentures and routine preventative care.
The Legal Aid Society, along with law firms Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, helped secure the changes as part of a settlement in Ciaramella et. al. v. Bassett, a federal class-action lawsuit brought against the New York State Department of Health (DOH) in 2018 on behalf of Medicaid recipients in New York who were denied coverage by the state for medically necessary dental care.
Under the old policy, New Yorkers with more than four pairs of teeth — eight or more back teeth touching — could have been denied coverage for crowns and root canals. In a press statement, the Legal Aid Society called that limit “archaic,” and said it is not aligned with modern dental standards in the U.S.
Source: Landmark settlement expands dental coverage for New Yorkers with Medicaid / Gothamist