Medicaid Expansion Presents an Opportunity to Secure Dental Coverage for Low-Income Adults
In Washington State, the Medicaid adult dental program was largely eliminated in 2011 due to budget shortfalls. Thanks to action by the Washington State Legislature, coverage was restored January 1, 2014.
Arcora Foundation and its many partners successfully advocated for the restoration of the Medicaid adult dental program. Success required:
- compelling messages
- strong grassroots advocacy
- a broad-based lobbying coalition
- effective media outreach
These tactics, combined with the right timing and a recovering state economy, led to the restoration of dental coverage for Medicaid-insured adults, which has the potential to benefit more than 775,000 low-income people in Washington.
The opportunity to leverage federal dollars proved to be one of the arguments that persuaded policymakers. Because of the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of the Medicaid program, the federal government will pay the full cost of dental care for all new enrollees through Medicaid expansion. To learn more about this and other messages that generated bipartisan support for the Medicaid adult dental program, read our advocacy brief.
Trying to Secure Medicaid Adult Dental Coverage in Your State?
No need to re-create the wheel! Adapt our materials to suit your needs:
- Various 1-pagers distributed to policymakers (1, 2, 3)
- Earned Media
- Action alerts, Blog posts
- Radio spots (Emergency Room audio, Diabetes audio)
- Other media touting the importance of oral health (Wall Street Journal, Deseret News, HealthLeaders, Yakima Herald Republic)
Oral Health Watch
12 hours ago
Providing oral health care access for lower-income workers can make a profound difference in health and quality of life. Bad breath, tooth loss, and visible decay can significantly impact employment opportunities for working adults with:
✅decreased confidence
✅increased absenteeism
... ✅lower productivity
✅potential negative perceptions by employers, colleagues and customers. #teethmatter
Oral Health Watch
15 hours ago
Providing oral health care access for lower-income workers can make a profound difference in health and quality of life. Bad breath, tooth loss, and visible decay can significantly impact employment opportunities for working adults with:
✅decreased confidence
✅increased absenteeism
... ✅lower productivity
✅potential negative perceptions by employers, colleagues and customers. #teethmatter
Oral Health Watch
2 days ago
Access to preventive and restorative oral health care is highly effective and saves money, sparing people from needless pain and expensive hospital emergency department visits that don't have the equipment or trained staff to address the root causes of oral disease. #teethmatter
Oral Health Watch
2 days ago
Access to preventive and restorative oral health care is highly effective and saves money, sparing people from needless pain and expensive hospital emergency department visits that don't have the equipment or trained staff to address the root causes of oral disease. #teethmatter
Oral Health Watch
3 days ago
An overwhelming majority of public health organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, support community water fluoridation as a cost-effective, equitable and beneficial way to improve oral health. #teethmatter
Oral Health Watch
3 days ago
An overwhelming majority of public health organizations, including the @clevelandclinic, support community water fluoridation as a cost-effective, equitable and beneficial way to improve oral health. #teethmatter