Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's budget includes funds to expand dental benefits to those on the state's Medicaid program, TennCare, and incentivize dentists to open practices in underserved communities, Nashville's NPR affiliate WPLN News reported March 21.
Though the plan is to expand dental coverage, only 30 percent of Tennessee dentists serve Medicaid patients, according to a Jan. 18 report from the Tennessee Justice Center. Advocates say more dentists will need to start accepting Medicaid for every adult to have access to dental care, according to WPLN News.
WPLN News reported that dentists said TennCare should raise its rates. Medicaid rates for adults are typically less than half of what commercial insurance pays, according to an analysis by Milliman.
WPLN News reported that a common complaint from dentists is that low-income patients are more likely to miss appointments. In response, Kinika Young, senior policy director of the Tennessee Justice Center, told WPLN News that offering extended hours and flexible scheduling can help the issue.