In an unusual class-action legal settlement agreement, the Connecticut Department of Social Services has guaranteed people enrolled in a state Medicaid plan can corral dentists that accept the program. Those dentists, in turn, will get more money for their services.
The lawsuit was brought in 2000 by members of the state”™s Healthcare for Uninsured Kids and Youth (HUSKY) program, which covers 230,000 low-income children and parents. Plaintiffs claimed the state”™s low Medicaid payments for dental care made it difficult to find a dentist willing to perform work, including for simple preventative cleaning and screening.
A federal judge in Hartford is scheduled to review the agreement August 26. Under the settlement, the Department of Social Services (DSS) agreed to pay higher fees to encourage more dentists to accept the program. The agency said it would help any HUSKY plan members who ask to schedule an appointment with a dentist who accepts the program, as well as assist in transporting the patient to the dentist.
Just 15 percent of dentists statewide accepted Medicaid payments, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). Fairfield County has roughly 700 practicing dentists, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 1999, Connecticut enacted a law that allows dental hygienists to perform routine work like cleanings at nursing homes; a century after Bridgeport”™s Alfred Fones created the profession, more than 3,000 dental hygienists practice in Connecticut today. DPH said it has yet to study whether the law is having an impact on the availability of care.
Under the new Connecticut Medicaid plan, plan, a dentist will receive $65 for an initial exam, up from $24; $46 for a cleaning, up from $22; and $230 for a crown, up from $85.
DSS indicated the program will cost the state at least $20 million annually, as well as an additional $5 million in the current fiscal year for initial outreach to “safety net” providers and members of the Connecticut State Dental Association.
Carol Dingeldey, executive director of CSDA, indicated the Southington-based association is not tracking participation among its members. In a January report, DPH proposed CSDA”™s local chapters “adopt” a nursing home to help it identify dentists in their area willing to provide care.
Despite the systemic decay the settlement aims to fill, Connecticut routinely fares well on studies examining oral health among state residents. A 2006 screen of children entering Head Start programs found that while one in three children had a filling or evidence of tooth decay, Connecticut had the lowest rate among 31 states that undertook similar exams.
