California, the state with the highest number of dental professional shortage areas, has disenrolled the second highest number of Medicaid recipients, according to data from KFF and the Health Resources and Services Administration.
KFF has been tracking Medicaid enrollment since May 3, 2023, after the continuous enrollment requirement enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic ended March 31, 2023. The tracker uses information from state websites and CMS. About 25.1 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid as of Aug. 23.
The HRSA's dashboard, which was updated Sept. 9, shows the U.S. needs more than 10,000 dental professionals to fill the 6,882 shortage areas nationwide.
Here are the top five states with the most Medicaid disenrollments so far, and the number of dental professional shortage areas in each of those states:
Texas
Number of disenrolled: 2.5 million
Number of dental professional shortage areas: 256
California
Number of disenrolled: 2 million
Number of dental professional shortage areas: 517
New York
Number of disenrolled: 1.9 million
Number of dental professional shortage areas: 156
Florida
Number of disenrolled: 1.9 million
Number of dental professional shortage areas: 267
Michigan
Number of disenrolled: 1.1 million
Number of dental professional shortage areas: 243