Bills Aim to Improve Access to Dental Care in North Dakota

(Getty Images via the North Dakota Monitor)

(Erin Hemme Froslie and Amy Dalrymple – North Dakota Monitor) – Two bills being considered by the North Dakota Legislature strive to make dental care more accessible to low-income and under-represented populations across the state. Supporters say the bills are needed but merely begin to address unmet dental care needs in the state.

House Bill 1567 would fund a study of the dental health care status among Medicaid recipients and look at ways to recruit dental care providers to improve access for low-income children, Native American children and people with disabilities.

Senate Bill 2231 would add dental coverage to Medicaid Expansion, the health insurance program for adults who aren’t eligible for Medicaid but whose household incomes fall below 138% of the federal poverty line.

“We need to take action,” said Rep. Mary Schneider, D-Fargo, who is one of the sponsors for the House bill. “We need effective and permanent ways to address lack of dental access for groups who rely on Medicaid for oral health.”

Approximately 23,300 North Dakotans rely on Medicaid Expansion for their health care coverage as of January. Adding dental benefits would cost the state about $500,000, according to testimony shared with the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. It’s also estimated to cost about $4.6 million in federal funds.