A dental coalition is working to restore basic oral health benefits to help improve oral health among adults with low incomes. MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Help Minnesota Smile Coalition — a partnership between the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) and Dental Access Partners (Apple Tree Dental, Community Dental Care, and Hennepin Healthcare) — is advocating for …
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Minnesota Ranks Nearly Last for Pediatric Medicaid Dental Rates The Minnesota Dental Association announced today a renewed campaign to grow support for raising Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services in Minnesota. The state currently ranks 49th out of the 50 states in the nation for reimbursement rates of children needing dental care according to a study released …
According to new data from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute, dental care use among Minnesota children is dropping. In 2010, 44% of Minnesota children on Medicaid visited a dentist in the previous 12 months. In 2015, that percentage fell to 41.1%. Nearly 6 in 10 children from low-income Minnesota families are not receiving …
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Dr. Michael Helgeson, Co-Founder and CEO of Apple Tree Dental, was interviewed by guest host Kurt Zellers, former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, on KNSI-AM about Minnesota’s dental access crisis and the Help Minnesota Smile campaign being led by the Minnesota Dental Association. You can listen to the interview here:
Minnesota may be first in our hearts but, unfortunately, our teeth are a very different story. According to the Minnesota Dental Association’s webpage, “Minnesota currently ranks dead last–50th of the 50 states–when it comes to Medicaid funding rates for pediatric dental services.” That ranking is all too obvious to those working with children in Becker …
ST. PAUL—Many low-income Minnesotans cannot afford to go to a dentist and many dentists say they cannot afford to serve those who receive state assistance. For serving the poor, Minnesota pays dentists 27 percent of what other Minnesotans pay. Because of that, many dentists no longer accept patients on Medicaid, a federal-state medical coverage program …
Continue reading “Forum Communications: Poor Minnesotans and dentists struggle to smile”
