Opinion ID: 2630566
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Overview of the Adult Dental Services Provided Under Alaska's Medicaid Program

Text: Title XIX of the Social Security Act [10] established the Medicaid program, a cooperative federal-state partnership under which participating states provide federally-funded medical services to needy individuals. [11] Although participation in the program by a state is voluntary, once a state decides to participate, it must comply with federal statutory and regulatory requirements. [12] States electing to participate in the Medicaid program must fund a minimum of seven mandatory services. [13] States may elect to cover additional optional services and, once they do, those services become part of the state's Medicaid plan and are subject to the requirements of federal law. [14] The State of Alaska has elected to participate in the federal Medicaid program. [15] The state provides all mandatory services as well as a number of optional services, including adult dental services. [16] Authority to promulgate regulations and to administer the program is accorded to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. [17] The regulations governing dental services provided to Medicaid-eligible adults are set out in 7 AAC 43.600 [18] and 7 AAC 43.620. [19] As the regulations clearly state, dental services for Medicaid recipients age twenty-one or older are limited to those for the immediate relief of pain and acute infection. [20] Thus, there is no coverage for Medicaid-eligible adults desiring routine dental care.