Location Matters: Supply and Demand Analysis of Dental Care in Colorado's Medicaid Program

Colorado legislators in 2013 voted to add dental benefits for adults in Medicaid, the joint state-federal insurance program, expanding coverage that historically had been limited to children and adolescents. In addition, Colorado lawmakers increased the number of people who will be eligible for Medicaid by setting higher income limits. Together, these two health policy decisions will result in a projected 844,000 Coloradans enrolled in Medicaid by 2016, all with dental benefits. This represents a 143 percent increase in the number of Medicaid enrollees with dental benefits. The session will explore the Colorado Health Institute’s analysis of whether the state will have an adequate dental workforce to care for the expected influx of low-income Coloradans with dental insurance. The analysis provides a county-by-county estimate of the number of Coloradans who will have access to Medicaid dental benefits and an assessment of the supply of private practice and safety net dental providers. It also identifies strategies to improve access to dental care for Medicaid enrollees, including increasing dental provider participation and engaging new health professionals in promoting oral health.  This work is currently being used by a range of stakeholders in Colorado to assess areas of limited dental care across the state and to develop targeted strategies to improve access.