FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Date:  July 1, 2021

Medicaid expands to cover full dental services, prenatal services regardless of immigration status

Richmond, Va.— Effective today, Virginia has expanded Medicaid to cover dental benefits for all new and current enrollees as well as added new coverage for pregnant women regardless of their immigration status.

The decision to expand dental and prenatal services is a historic one and will likely result in thousands of more Virginians enrolling in Medicaid. Since the state expanded in 2019, more than 500,000 people have enrolled in the program.

“This is a huge day for Virginians,” said Deepak Madala, director of Enroll Virginia. “Dental benefits for all Medicaid enrollees and comprehensive health coverage for pregnant women, no matter what their immigration status, is a huge step forward to helping ensure that everyone in Virginia has the health coverage and services that they need.”

Enrollees will now be able to access full dental services that include: cleanings and preventive care, X- Rays and exams, fillings, dentures, root canals, gum-related treatment, oral surgeries and more.

Pregnant women, regardless of immigration status, will now have access to full coverage through Medicaid. Services include: comprehensive healthcare and dental benefits during pregnancy, prenatal wellness checkups, ultrasounds, breastfeeding support, continued healthcare benefits 60 days post-partum, plus more benefits.

Enroll Virginia, a community-based organization and project of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, provides free, unbiased assistance to all Virginians seeking to enroll in health coverage through Medicaid/FAMIS and the Affordable Care Act. Enroll Virginia assisters provide support through the entire application process, from determining eligibility to submitting an enrollment application.

Consumers may contact Enroll Virginia’s staff by calling, 1-888-392-5132 and entering their zip code to be directly transferred to a navigator in their community. Consumers can also visit Enroll Virginia’s website: http://www.enrollva.org/get-help/ where they can find local assisters and schedule an appointment.

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Enroll Virginia (a project of the Virginia Poverty Law Center) is supported by the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the Virginia Health Benefit Exchange, in accordance with the provisions of Va. Code § 38.2-6513(B). The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors

Contact:  William Lineberry, Marketing & Communications Manager

Enroll Virginia, 804-366-3531 or william@vplc.org