In the wake of SB 65, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) filed new regulations to reinstate the expanded dental benefits for adults on Medicaid in Kentucky. KOHC is supportive of these proposed regulations and has submitted public comments which you can read below.  

We need your voice to support the reinstatement of expanded Medicaid adult dental benefits! Advocates can show their support through public comments on the regulations, by speaking at the public hearing on the regulations, or both.  

Act now to support reinstating expanded adult Medicaid dental benefits by taking these steps: 

  • Submit written comments in support of these regulations through May 31st. 
  • Request to speak (by May 15th) at the virtual public hearing on May 22nd at 9:00 AM ET via Zoom. 
  • Written comments and requests to speak can be sent to the contact person: Krista Quarles, Policy Analyst, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, 275 East Main Street 5 W-A, Frankfort, Kentucky 40621, or via email: CHFSregs@ky.gov. 

Public comments submitted from KOHC on 4/20/2023: 

The Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC) is a statewide coalition of over 450 members and oral health stakeholders from every region of the Commonwealth. Membership includes dentists, dental hygienists, health professionals, family resource center coordinators, universities, managed care companies, business corporations, government entities, teachers, parents, educators, social workers, public health departments, community health advocates and many others. On behalf of KOHC, we are writing this letter in support of the proposed emergency regulation 907 KAR 1:126E – Dental Services Coverage Provisions and Requirements.  

Kentucky has suffered from poor oral health outcomes for decades and continues to rank in the bottom five on several oral health indicators today. Medicaid oral health coverage for Kentucky adults has largely left out critical services including both preventive care and restorative treatment options. The expansion of services that occurred in early 2023 demonstrated the need for these services among the adult Medicaid population in Kentucky when thousands of services – including dentures, crowns, and others – were administered in the first six weeks of the expansion. The legislature’s recension of these services once again left the most vulnerable adults in our state without access to critical dental care.  

Lack of dental insurance significantly contributes to disparities in overall health outcomes, making Medicaid adult dental benefits expansion a powerful mechanism to advance equity in oral and overall health. Not only do Medicaid-eligible adults experience significantly higher rates of diseases linked to poor oral health, such as cardiovascular diseases, oral cancers, and substance use disorders, but their ability to effectively manage their disease is made considerably more difficult by a lack of access to preventive oral health care.   

The expanded coverage of dental services for Medicaid adults proposed in 907 KAR 1:126E will help narrow the health care equity gap for more than 900,000 underserved Kentuckians, including many low-income adults, pregnant women, and people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid for critical health care services.  

KOHC applauds the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) for their decision to propose new regulations in 907 KAR 1:126E that will positively impact the oral health of thousands of Kentuckians and their families. We are supportive of this effort and hope to support the successful implementation of an expanded adult Medicaid dental benefit in Kentucky in the coming months.