Washington legislators could take Medicaid dental benefits away from more than 30,000 low-income pregnant women later this month as part of a plan to balance the state budget, a decision that could lead to even higher dental costs in the future and poorer health for mothers and their children.
The state Legislature will consider a long list of difficult cuts, including the elimination of all non-emergency dental care for low-income pregnant women. While policymakers will have few easy choices, this drastic cut would eventually make care even more expensive. Why? It would delay inexpensive preventive care along with restorative care for pregnant women on Medicaid, increasing the severity of their dental disease and the risk that their children will develop tooth decay. Read More