Low-income children in Oakland, Wayne and Kent counties starting Thursday will receive dental coverage thanks to the newly expanded Healthy Kids Dental program.
“We want to ensure that dentists are fully informed about the Healthy Kids Dental program and how it will benefit the approximately 265,000 children who will now be eligible under the program in Wayne County,” says Bruce C. Harwood, DDS, president of the Detroit District Dental Society. “
Harwood says the program not only increases access to dental care, but also promotes good oral health habits in children and could help in reducing emergency medical care visits and decrease school absences previously related to mouth pain and infection.
Over the next few weeks, dentists will be educated on the program in their respective counties. They will learn how the program works by attending informational presentations facilitated by the Michigan Dental Association, Delta Dental Plan of Michigan, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Statewide expansion of the program has been a longtime goal of Gov. Rick Snyder. In June, lawmakers appropriated $12.7 million to cover the last three of Michigan’s 83 counties. Medicaid beneficiaries are automatically covered under the Healthy Kids Dental program and can seek dental care with any dentist currently participating with Delta Dental (program administrator). There is no co-pay for Healthy Kids Dental services.
For more information, visit smilemichigan.com.
