Missouri lawmakers appear likely to restore dental coverage for hundreds of thousands of adult Medicaid recipients, nearly a decade after it was eliminated.
The Senate Appropriations Committee agreed Wednesday to include an additional $48 million of federal and state money in next year's Medicaid budget for dental care. The House previously approved the same amount, although there are differences between the two chambers on exactly how that would be spent.
Missouri lawmakers eliminated dental coverage for adult Medicaid recipients under a 2005 law that also made other cuts to the program.
More than 300,000 adult Medicaid recipients could benefit from the proposed restoration of dental care.
Children already receive dental coverage under Missouri's Medicaid program.
Some of the money in the Senate plan would increase Medicaid rates paid to dentists.
