A recent federal report found nearly 75 percent of children covered by Medicaid in four states (California, Indiana, Louisiana and Maryland) did not receive all required dental care over a recent two-year period, according to WFLA 8.
Here are five takeaways:
1. The Health and Human Services inspector general's office said one in four such kids did not see a dentist at all.
2. In Maryland, 73 percent of children do not receive all required dental services compared to 81 percent in Louisiana.
3. In both California and Indiana, 78 percent of children do not receive required dental services.
4. While Medicaid covers dental care for an estimated 37 million children from low-income families, there is a national shortage of dentists who accept Medicaid patients.
5. Children who do not receive dental care are more prone to infection, which may require emergency room visits and costly repairs.
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