Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s CMS-416 Annual Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Participation Report provides basic information on participation in the Medicaid child health program.  The information is used to assess the effectiveness of state EPSDT programs in terms of the number of individuals under the age of 21 (by age group and basis of Medicaid eligibility) who are provided child health screening services, referred for corrective treatment, and receiving dental services.  Child health screening services are defined for purposes of reporting on this form as initial or periodic screens required to be provided according to a state’s screening periodicity schedule.

For this indicator, we are looking specifically at annual preventive dental visits for children ages 1-18 in Utah.

This data shows that only half of children eligible for dental services under Medicaid received that care in 2022; a decrease from 56% in 2019.  These numbers can be improved, but it will take time and a multifactorial approach.  The Oral Health Program is developing a State Oral Health Improvement Plan. It intends use education and outreach to encourage people to get dental care and promote more dental professionals to become providers of care for the Medicaid population.  One reason for the dip seen in 2020-2021 could be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and delayed dental care, however, even before the pandemic, only 56% of children used their dental benefits. We hope to surpass the pre-pandemic levels in the coming years.