Groups want dental benefits for disabled and poor
Groups are calling for the restoration of Medicaid dental benefits for the elderly, poor and disabled.
The Michigan League for Human Services has demanded the changes from lawmakers as there are concerns that many people are suffering, or even close to death, because they cannot afford dental cover.
Sharon Parks, Michigan League for Human Services CEO, said that the government needed to consider how policy decisions effect lives not how they affect budgets.
Jennifer Granholm, Michigan state governor, did away with dental benefits for adults in July 2008 to help shore-up the $1.3billion budget deficit. However, benefits weren’t restored this year.
The Michigan Medicaid program now funds only emergency dental work.
Since the dental benefits cuts one disabled woman has died and another has filed a lawsuit against the state demanding the restoration of services.
Liz Boyd, Governor Granholm’s spokeswoman, said that her boss was pained by the cuts but claimed that the state could not fund everything that it had in the past.
She said that Governor Granholm would continue to try to create benefits for Michigan’s disadvantaged citizens but said that the state revenues were the at the lowest they had been in 40 years.
The cuts have come as the number of people that need Medicaid dental benefits is growing.
Janet Olszewski, Michigan Department of Community Health director, said that people’s incomes were dropping and as a result they were growing numbers of people who were uninsured.
Reducing adult dental services only saved Michigan $1.4 million in 2008 and $5.2 million in 2009. So while national deficits remain high benefits could remain reduced for longer periods.
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Iam 39 years old, caring for my 22 year old disabled son, who recently lost his dental benefits. i live on a small amount of money, all of my bills get paid every month. how come our government cant figure out how to do the same. we havnt done without, we get what we need, if i dont have the funds for extras we just dont get them. but i dont fly on jet planes, or ride in limos, or eat fancy dinners either.