OKEMOS, Mich.— Michigan is failing to meet the dental health needs of its children, especially those most vulnerable, according to a report released today by the Pew Center on the States.
“Oral health is crucial to overall health. While we commend the Pew Center for conducting this report, it highlights the need for statewide expansion of the successful Healthy Kids Dental program,” said William Wright, D.D.S., M.S., president of the Michigan Dental Association (MDA).
The nationwide report, “The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children,” grades each state’s policy responses to the urgent challenges in dental health among America’s children.
Michigan is among six states recognized for bringing dental care to more low-income children by improving Medicaid reimbursement rates and minimizing administrative hurdles through its Healthy Kids Dental program, according to the report.
Ironically, given the kudos the report gave Michigan for improving access to care for Medicaid children through Healthy Kids Dental, the state fell short of the benchmark, excluding approximately 675,000 children from the program.
More than 300,000 Michigan children enrolled in Medicaid have dental coverage through the Healthy Kids Dental program. The program is provided by the Michigan Department of Community Health and administered by Delta Dental. Healthy Kids Dental has won a national reputation for steadily increasing the number of children served since its inception in 2000. While Healthy Kids Dental covers children in 61 counties, it does not cover children living in major metropolitan counties, including Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent or Ingham.
According to the Pew Center report, only 34.5 percent of Medicaid-enrolled children statewide received dental care. In contrast, a 2007 HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) measurement shows that 60.6 percent of children enrolled in Healthy Kids Dental had an annual dental visit, far above the national average of 38.1 percent.
“Healthy Kids Dental has demonstrated that our members will step up to the plate to provide care when the Medicaid reimbursement rates come close to covering actual costs,” said Wright.
Michigan dentists provide care through a number of charitable initiatives, including the annual national Give Kids a Smile event. Give Kids a Smile provides free treatment to more than 20,000 Michigan children each year, and seeks to draw this crisis to the attention of the public, media and policymakers.
Despite such challenges, more than 500 Michigan dentists donated their services in Give Kids a Smile events across the state earlier this month. Since 2003, dentists have donated care for more than 150,000 at-risk children through this MDA program.
Still, Wright said, more must be done.
“Michigan’s children deserve more than charity care,” Wright said. “We need a comprehensive approach that ensures access to dental care for all children and helps us reach our ultimate goal of preventing dental disease.”
The Michigan Access to Oral Health Care Work Group, a collaboration of organizations, working to expand access to oral health care in Michigan, will issue its recommendations this spring.
The Michigan Dental Association is a professional organization representing nearly 6,000 dentist and student members statewide. For more information, visit the MDA’s Web site at www.smilemichigan.com.
Contact: Tom Kochheiser, Michigan Dental Association, tkoch@michigandental.org 517-372-9070, ext. 422