Medicaid Dental Benefit Act of 2026

Mandatory Dental Coverage for Adults: The bill requires Medicaid to cover dental and oral health services, which includes dentures, implants, and services to prevent disease, restore oral structures, and treat emergency conditions (Section 2(a)(2)(B)).

Increased Federal Support for States: For the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the Federal medical assistance percentage will be 100 percent for expenditures related to authorized dental and oral health services for a 12-quarter period starting January 1, 2027 (Section 2(c)(1)(A)).

Support for Territories: Similar to the states, the bill provides a 100 percent Federal medical assistance percentage for qualifying dental and oral health services in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa (Section 2(c)(1)(B)).

Improved Quality and Equity Oversight: The Secretary is required to identify and publish a core set of health quality and equity measures for adults over 21, including measures for dental service utilization, emergency department visits, and care for specific conditions (Section 3(a)(1)).

Outreach and Education: The bill directs the development of a program to provide culturally competent and linguistically appropriate information regarding oral health coverage and assistance in connecting underserved populations to care (Section 5).

Optional Coverage for Territories: While the bill provides increased federal funding, the requirement to provide these dental and oral health services is optional for States other than the 50 States and the District of Columbia (Section 2(a)(1)(C)(i)).

Exclusions on Increased Federal Funding: The increased Federal medical assistance percentage does not apply to additional items and services authorized at the State's option, nor does it apply to services that were already available to the individual through the State plan or Medicare cost-sharing at the time of enactment (Section 2(c)(2)).