Medicaid dental services for adults could be slashed if a proposal being considered in the North Carolina Legislature becomes law, according to a news story in The Star.
The proposal, which is currently in a House subcommittee, calls for a $15.9 million reduction in the adult dental Medicaid budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, which begins July 1, the paper reported. The cut will increase to $20.1 billion in 2010-2011, which is about half of the total budget for the program.
"Dr. Brenton Young, a Shelby dentist, believes if reimbursements for Medicaid adult dental services are cut in half, a lot of dentists will no longer treat Medicaid patients," the paper reported.
Dr. Young is further quoted as saying that only about three or four dentists in Cleveland County accept adult Medicaid patients on a regular basis, and if another 50% of the reimbursement is cut, more could drop out of the program.
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