North Carolina’s recent Medicaid expansion has significantly increased access to dental care for nearly 600,000 low-income residents, leading to an overwhelming demand for services in dental practices across the state. However, the surge in patient volume highlights a critical issue: many dentists are unable to accept Medicaid patients due to the state’s low reimbursement rates, which have not seen substantial long-term increases since 2008.
Unprecedented Demand Meets Financial Hurdles
Since the expansion took effect on December 1, dental offices like Winston Smiles Dentistry have experienced an unprecedented influx of calls from new Medicaid recipients seeking care, some of whom have not visited a dentist in over a decade. Despite the clear need for services, the state’s reimbursement rate of 34 cents on the dollar makes it financially unviable for many dentists to accept Medicaid patients. This rate, unchanged since 2008, significantly lags behind the increasing costs of running a dental practice, including salaries for hygienists and dental assistants, and the price of essential equipment like X-ray machines.