Workers' rights group kicks off campaign to secure dental coverage for low-income Mainers

Continuing a fight that started in the state legislature last session, the Southern Maine Workers’ Center (SMWC) — a nonprofit devoted to improving the lives of Maine’s low-wage workers — officially launched a campaign on Saturday in Portland to expand MaineCare coverage to provide dental insurance for low-income adults.

Meaghan LaSala, a member of the center who organizes for health care justice, said that although the group’s ultimate goal is a “comprehensive” universal health care system, a major first hurdle is ensuring low-income adults are guaranteed dental care, without which their overall health can be greatly impaired.

“We’re very aware that as we’re working towards winning a universal health care system, that there’s a really big risk of having it not be a comprehensive system that includes everyone,” she said. “We think dental care is a very strategic way to talk about not only how we are winning a universal health care system, but how are we transforming the system at the same time, because the system as it exists right now isn’t meeting all of our needs.”

Currently, 33 states and the District of Columbia offer more comprehensive dental coverage in their state-run programs, while MaineCare recipients over 21 are only covered in the case of a medical emergency. LD 1453, a bill sponsored by state Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) last session, would have added dental benefits for up to 70,000 adult MaineCare recipients beginning in 2021. It passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee unanimously and later passed under the hammer in the state House and Senate with strong bipartisan support.

Read more: https://mainebeacon.com/workers-rights-group-kick-offs-campaign-to-secure-dental-coverage-for-low-income-mainers/