Courier-Journal: Expanding Medicaid dental coverage means a healthier, more productive Kentucky: Opinion

Emergency department dental visits, 80% of which are preventable, cost the nation’s health care system more than $2 billion annually. In Kentucky, a recent CareQuest Institute study revealed that the state was spending $44 million per year for these largely preventable or avoidable dental visits.

Additionally, adults who obtain dental coverage through Medicaid report improved oral health and employability. CareQuest Institute research conducted before the pandemic found that ensuring dental care access to all working adults would create $14.2 million in federal tax revenue and save nearly $8 million in unemployment benefits. 

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