The deans of Kentucky’s dental colleges want the Republican-led General Assembly to support Governor Beshear’s expansion of Medicaid to cover dental services. A few days after a testifying at a committee meeting, Dr. Pamela Stein, the dean of Pikeville University’s College of Dental Medicine, told WEKU News the numbers speak for themselves.
“Thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries have received dentures, partial root canals, crowns, implants.”
Stein said before Beshear’s Medicaid expansion, the federal-state matching program paid for tooth removals, but not replacements. She and the deans of the dental colleges at UK and U of L, also want increased reimbursement rates to encourage dentists to serve Medicaid patients. Stein said the higher rates will also help her college, which is expected to open in two years.
“We don't have enough providers in rural and underserved areas. So the Medicaid expansion, and the increased fees -- that supports that goal tremendously.”
Republicans say Governor Beshear had no right to expand Medicaid. Beshear officials say he did have the authority because the $39 million cost is paid for with Medicaid savings.
WEKU requested comment or an interview from Republican House leadership staff. We did not receive a response to our request.
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