Letters about Medicaid dental to be sent soon

ST. LOUIS -- The state plans to send letters, perhaps as soon as Friday, letting about 358,000 people know they are again eligible to receive dental care under the state's Medicaid program.

A St. Louis County circuit judge ruled last week that a state budget cut eliminating adult dental services for Medicaid violated other state laws.

Since then, the Department of Social Services has been considering how to respond to the temporary order issued by St. Louis City Circuit Timothy J. Wilson, said Mary Browning, general counsel for the department.

More than 100,000 adults got dental treatment through Medicaid last fiscal year. The court decision means that many of those low-income people can continue to get their teeth cleaned, cavities filled and abscesses treated.

In a separate but related court case, a federal judge has ruled in favor of continuing Medicaid benefits for about 17,000 custodial parents in Missouri.

The decision is expected to cost the state about $9.4 million.