Uninsured patients in Virginia could lose free dental healthcare
Uninsured patients in Virginia could lose free dental care this summer.
Many people without dental insurance were set to benefit from free dental healthcare over the summer; however, representatives involved in the scheme have said that both state and federal officials have been slow to organise the programme and now patients may miss out.
Virginia was granted access to the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund by the US Health and Human Services department and was set to use the money to provide dental care for those most in need in the state, including adults without dental insurance. However, the process has been very slow and the programme was not approved until the 16th June; as a consequence, the Virginia Health Care Foundation has now backed out on the scheme because there is not enough time to re-schedule the appointments, which had already been made for the summer months. The foundation had been working to a deadline of September 30th; this date was given by Congress as the deadline for spending and any money that had not been used by this date would have to be returned to the federal government.
Deborah Oswalt, chief executive of the Virginia Health Foundation said that it was not possible to start the scheme now, just 90 days before the deadline. Instead, she is hoping that the deadline can be extended to allow the foundation to rearrange appointments and help those in need.
Those who have supported the programme for free dental care are hoping that it can still go ahead; currently, thousands of people in Virginia are struggling to afford dental care and are consequently going without the treatment they need.
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