Study: Dental care lacking for children covered by Medicaid

A new study by the Government Accountability Office estimates that 6.5 million children covered by Medicaid have untreated tooth decay (Source: “Kids in Medicaid have more tooth decay: study,” Reuters, Sept. 23, 2008).

Of the 20 million children in the United State who covered by Medicaid, only a third had any dental care in the past year, according to the study. About half of all children on private insurance had dental care in the past year.

"Children in Medicaid remain at higher risk of dental disease compared to children with private health insurance; children in Medicaid were almost twice as likely to have untreated tooth decay," the GAO report found.

One problem, the report found is that many parents have tried and failed to find care for their children. According to the report, "We estimate that 724,000 children aged 2 through 18 in Medicaid could not obtain needed care."