Protesters urge lawmakers to fund Medicaid dental benefits

Even when the Medicaid folks win, they lose.

Despite getting a bump in this budget year of $54 million from the federal government and a reinstatement of cut services as of 2008 the only condition to Utah getting the money, a group of low-income seniors and disabled Utahns are once again fighting to keep dental benefits.

Not only does a pending July 1 expiration create an unnecessary hardship for the patients, the cost-cutting step is actually going to cost the state more in emergency care than it will save through the cuts, advocates for Utah's low-income and disabled residents said before staging a protest against the expiration in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday.

In a year of economic turmoil and fallout, one reason lawmakers are going to be able to make up a $1 billion shortfall is because of Medicaid's bump in the Obama stimulus package, said Bill Tibbitts with Crossroads Urban Center. "Pinching pennies on dental care for these folks really doesn't add up."

The benefit adds up to a little more than pennies. With the increase to the federal Medicaid match rate in President Barack Obama's stimulus bill, the cost to Utah for maintaining dental services is only $1.45 million — down from the $2 million in state funds in this year's budget.

If lawmakers believe that the benefit amounts to a dental check-up, they should think again, said Anti-Hunger Action Committee Board co-chairman Don Reifsnider. Dental health is related to all health, he said, noting that untreated dental problems lead to infections getting throughout the body and can be serious and even cause death.

With most Medicaid recipients being on a fixed income, it doesn't help if more costs are added, people speaking at the protest said.

"We cannot afford to pay extra for our dental care," said Rudy Roca, a board member.

E-mail: jthalman@desnews.com