Maine dental clinic for disabled to close

A Maine dental clinic that treats the mentally ill and intellectually disabled is targeted for closure due to state budget cuts.

The patients in the Portland clinic are Medicaid recipients; many are in wheelchairs and have cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, according to a story in the Portland Daily Sun.

The state-funded clinic, part of Riverview Psychiatric, will close June 30 under current budget proposals.

The clinic's 3,000 patients are the most vulnerable in the state and have few other options, the clinic director said. The clinic has a waiting list of 600 patients.

MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program, does not cover dental services for adults except for emergency services. Also, many of the disabled patients have behavioral issues, making it difficult for them to be seen in community dental offices.

Some 500 of the patients need sedation for dental services, something not readily available at other facilities.

MaineCare now dominates state spending, and state officials noted the loss of $40 million in reduced federal match rates for welfare programs, according to the story.