Low-income New Yorkers can finally get root canals, crowns
For millions of low-income New Yorkers, access to routine dental care has long hinged on whether or not they still have eight crucial teeth.
A mouth with just four pairs of matching back teeth is considered “adequate for functional purposes” according to the state’s rules for Medicaid recipients. And those considered functional, no matter how many other teeth they’re missing, aren’t covered for root canals and crowns, two of the field’s most common procedures.
Under a new legal settlement reached on Monday, the New York Department of Health must lift some of its most restrictive rules for Medicaid recipients, including the long-standing “eight points of contact” policy.