Editorial Connecticut lets far too many children slip through the cracks when it comes to providing dental care.

The de facto denial of dental care occurs because Medicaid reimbursement rates under the Husky program, which have been frozen since 1993, are so ridiculously low that most private dental practitioners simply refuse to accept children under the plan.

According to studies by the Connecticut Health Foundation, there are only about 100 dentists left in the state who accept significant numbers of Husky patients.

The rest say their costs to treat Husky patients so far exceed what the state would reimburse them - as much as 90 percent more in some cases - that they would go out of business.

As a result, about 250,000 children enrolled in Husky - two-thirds of the entire Husky population - get no dental services unless their problems are so severe they have to go to the hospital. Regular dental care makes for a healthier child and a better student.

A measure that would increase reimbursements to a level that won't fully cover costs but might at least make it palatable for more dentists to participate in the program is currently before the legislature. State lawmakers should pass the bill.

Nine other states - Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee - recently approved similar proposals and immediately saw substantial increases in the number of participating dentists and children served.

Connecticut would probably experience a similar surge. Fourteen years is a shamefully long time for children to go without proper dental care.

(COHI emphasis)

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About Connecticut Oral Health Initiative

The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, or COHI for short, is a state-wide collaborative of dental professionals, business and community leaders. Our Mission is Oral Health Care for All. We work to persuade, educate and inform decision makers and the general public about the important issues involving oral health. We started in 1992 as a project of the Connecticut State Dental Association and incorporated as a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in 2003. We are supported by your tax-deductible contribution and grants from progressive foundations and businesses.

Connecticut Oral Health Initiative Marty Milkovic Executive Director email: martym@ctoralhealth.org phone: 860-246-COHI (2644)