Supreme Court Declines To Hear Case Alleging Poor Dental Benefits for Children in North Carolina Medicaid Program

The Supreme Court on Oct. 21 refused to hear an appeal from North Carolina to block a lawsuit that alleges that the state's Medicaid program does not provide adequate dental care to low-income children, the AP/Columbia State reports (Holland, AP/Columbia State, 10/21). In the lawsuit, filed in November 2000, representatives for six children said that they and other Medicaid beneficiaries in the state must conduct "extensive" searches and travel long distances to find dentists who will treat them. About 16% of North Carolina dentists participate in the state's Medicaid program, one of the lowest rates nationwide (Kaiser Daily Policy Report, 5/13). All but one of the original six children who filed suit have dropped out of the lawsuit. Eight new plaintiffs replaced them in August, the AP/Winston-Salem Journal reports (AP/Winston-Salem Journal, 10/22). Lawyers for the state argue that Medicaid beneficiaries "unhappy" with their benefits cannot file suit against the program, but the Supreme Court decided without comment not to hear the state's appeal. Meanwhile, the AP/State reports that the state hopes to have the case dismissed in a lower court on different grounds (AP/Columbia State, 10/21). According to a spokesperson for North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D), the state reached a settlement in the lawsuit last year, but the state Legislature refused to fund the agreement. The settlement would have required the state to spend an additional $7.5 million each year on Medicaid reimbursements for dental care and to open a toll-free hotline to provide the names of dentists in the state who serve Medicaid beneficiaries (AP/Winston-Salem Journal, 10/22).