Harvard Analysis Shows Limited Savings from Medicaid Dental Cuts

A Harvard analysis published in JAMA Health Forum found that if states cut Medicaid dental benefits for adults, they would only save between 20 and 50 cents of every dollar removed from the program. The study, which reviewed fee-for-service Medicaid dental spending across 50 states and Washington, D.C. from 2013 to 2024, was conducted by Ellen Meara of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Hawazin Elani of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. The analysis found that when the federal government pays 90% of costs for adults covered through Medicaid expansion, a state keeps only 10 cents of each dollar cut.

The findings are relevant as states seek budget savings, given that adult dental care is optional under federal Medicaid rules and is often targeted for spending trims. The study details how the federal medical assistance percentage dictates that a state's savings are limited to its own share of the costs, not the full amount cut.