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July 3, 2025
Final Budget Reconciliation Bill Includes Significant Changes and Cuts to the Medicaid Program That Will Be Detrimental to Oral Health Access in America
July 3, 2025 (Boston, MA) –CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, a leading national nonprofit focused on creating a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system, today issued a statement regarding the passage of a tax and spending package that includes significant changes and deep funding cuts to the Medicaid program which may result in nearly 12 million people losing access to coverage.
CareQuest Institute Senior Director of Public Policy Melissa Burroughs issued the following statement:
“The passage of this legislation marks a dangerous setback for Medicaid and the millions of people who rely on it for essential health care, which includes oral health. Deep cuts to Medicaid funding, new work requirements, and caps on the mechanisms that states use to fund the program threaten to drastically reduce access to care across the country.
This bill will make it harder for millions of families to afford dental care, for adults to manage chronic conditions tied to oral health, and for children and families in rural and low-income areas to find providers who can accept Medicaid or keep their doors open at all. History tells us that when states are forced to cut dental benefits, the damage can take years to undo–and often results in higher costs and overcrowded emergency rooms.
At a time when we should be improving access to prevention and care, this bill moves in the wrong direction. We urge Congress to prioritize policies that protect and strengthen access to oral health care–not dismantle it.”
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