Few Missouri Dentists Accepting Children Enrolled in Medicaid Because of Low Reimbursements, Study Says

Only about 100 dentists in the Kansas City, Mo., area say they are willing to treat children enrolled in Medicaid because the program's reimbursement rates are too low, according to a report by the Citizens for Missouri's Children advocacy group, Knight Ridder/Kansas City Star reports. The report focuses on an eight-county area in Missouri in which 90,483 children are enrolled in Medicaid. In those eight counties, 98 dentists said they accept Medicaid beneficiaries, meaning there is about one dentist for every 923 children enrolled in Medicaid in that region. Barry Daneman, a University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry administrator, estimated that 15,000 to 25,000 Kansas City-area children enrolled in Medicaid do not have access to a regular dental care provider. The study adds that no dentists in Lafayette, Johnson and Ray counties said they accept children enrolled in Medicaid. The shortage of dentists has led hundreds of children to seek treatment for their dental problems at hospital emergency rooms, according to the report. The report also found that Missouri's Medicaid program pays dentists about 30% to 50% of their usual rates. Daneman said, "It's economically painful for [dentists] to see those patients." Missouri lawmakers have tried to increase Medicaid payments to dentists in recent years, but state budget cuts have hampered their efforts, the Knight Ridder/Star reports. Joe Squillace, a policy analyst for the St. Louis-based Citizens for Missouri's Children, said, "We're calling on state legislators to invest the appropriate number of dollars in children's health. It's unconscionable that kids have to endure pain while sitting in a classroom." Pam Victor, deputy division director of the state's Medicaid program, said, "There's a shortage of dentists not only for Medicaid patients but for all Missourians, and not only in Missouri, but nationwide" (Bavley, Knight Ridder/Kansas City Star, 7/9). The report is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.