In 2020, the average Medicaid reimbursement rate among states providing data was 54.1 percent of private insurance reimbursement for adult dental services, according to new data released by the American Dental Association.
The ADA collected Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rate data from state Medicaid program web pages in December 2020. Data for adult dental care services was collected for states that had a limited or extensive adult dental benefit in the Medicaid program in 2020; data wasn't available for Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, New Jersey and Virginia. States with an emergency-only or no adult dental benefit were excluded.
Ratios ranged widely, with the lowest reimbursement rate 30.5 percent in Minnesota and the highest 77.3 percent in the District of Columbia.
Medicaid reimbursement as a percentage of private insurance reimbursement for adult dental services in 2020, per state:
Alabama — No benefit or emergency only
Alaska — 69.5 percent
Arizona — No benefit or emergency only
Arkansas — 67.4 percent
California — 39.9 percent
Colorado — 56.4 percent
Connecticut — 37.5 percent
Delaware — No benefit or emergency only
District of Columbia — 77.3 percent
Florida — No benefit or emergency only
Georgia — No benefit or emergency only
Hawaii — No data available
Idaho — 58.3 percent
Illinois — 38.2 percent
Indiana — 68.1 percent
Iowa — 47.9 percent
Kansas — No data available
Kentucky — 68.3 percent
Louisiana — No data available
Maine — No benefit or emergency only
Maryland — 77.2 percent
Massachusetts — 50.8 percent
Michigan — 31.9 percent
Minnesota — 30.5 percent
Mississippi — No benefit or emergency only
Missouri — 48.5 percent
Montana — 64 percent
Nebraska — 54.4 percent
Nevada — No benefit or emergency only
New Hampshire — No benefit or emergency only
New Jersey — No data available
New Mexico — 61.1 percent
New York — 71 percent
North Carolina — 57.5 percent
North Dakota — 65.5 percent
Ohio — 50.1 percent
Oklahoma — No benefit or emergency only
Oregon — 38.7 percent
Pennsylvania — 56.1 percent
Rhode Island — 36.3 percent
South Carolina — No data available
South Dakota — 63.3 percent
Tennessee — No benefit or emergency only
Texas — No benefit or emergency only
Utah — No benefit or emergency only
Vermont — 51.5 percent
Virginia — No data available
Washington — 34.8 percent
West Virginia — No benefit or emergency only
Wisconsin — 33 percent
Wyoming — 66.8 percent
Click here for a list of Medicaid reimbursement rates for pediatric dental care.