Boston, April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S., is encouraging Medicaid and CHIP enrollees to receive oral health care services as the state resumes Medicaid redeterminations and disenrollments.
In response to COVID-19, the federal government established a public health emergency (PHE). Congress provided states additional funds and suspended annual Medicaid eligibility reevaluations to ensure Americans had continuous access to health care coverage amid the pandemic. Medicaid and CHIP enrollees totaled roughly 92.3 million by December 2022, an increase of more than 20 million from February 2020, just before PHE.
Now that the pandemic threat has eased, Congress has given states 14 months to review whether Medicaid enrollees are still eligible for the program, an enormous undertaking that may result in 18 million Americans losing their Medicaid or CHIP coverage. These individuals will need to find an appropriate alternative, though children will have an additional year of coverage before possible disenrollment.
The focus has primarily been for medical coverage, however dental benefits – comprehensive for children and expanded for adults in several states – remain critical to maintain important momentum improving oral health nationwide.