The American Dental Association (ADA) has released a blueprint from a two-year, six-state Medicaid pilot and, in June 2026, launched a follow-on program called the Dental Access Partnership Across States (DAPAS) with three new states: Montana, Virginia, and Iowa. For families, the practical takeaway is simple. The effort targets the biggest problem behind children's dental coverage, which is not the insurance card itself but finding a dentist who actually accepts it. Four of the six pilot states increased the number of participating dentists and the amount of care beneficiaries used, and the ADA is now trying to repeat that success in more states.
What did the ADA actually announce?
The ADA announced two connected things at once. First, it published a report titled "Increasing Medicaid Participation in Dentistry: A Blueprint from a Six-State Pilot Program," which distills what worked during a pilot that ran from 2023 to 2025 in Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota. Second, it launched a new two-year initiative for 2026 to 2027, the Dental Access Partnership Across States, adding Montana, Virginia, and Iowa. The reporting on the announcement appeared in ADA News on June 16, 2026, with follow-up trade coverage on June 23, 2026.
Key facts at a glance
- 6 states took part in the original pilot from 2023 to 2025: Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota (Source: ADA News, June 2026).
- 4 of the 6 pilot states increased dentist participation in Medicaid and expanded how much dental care beneficiaries used (Source: DrBicuspid, June 23, 2026).
- Fewer than half of children covered by Medicaid or CHIP saw a dentist in 2024, compared with about two-thirds of children with private insurance (Source: ADA Health Policy Institute, 2024).
Why does this matter for children specifically?
It matters because children are the core of the Medicaid dental population, and coverage on paper does not equal a visit in a chair. The ADA Health Policy Institute reported that fewer than half of children enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP saw a dentist in 2024, versus roughly two-thirds of children with private coverage. That gap is driven in large part by how many local dentists are willing and able to treat Medicaid patients. When more dentists participate, families in the program have more real appointment options, shorter drives, and less time on a waitlist. A blueprint that lifts participation is therefore, in plain terms, a blueprint for getting more kids into a dental home.
For parents already searching a directory for a practice that fits their family, this policy work sits directly upstream of the choices you see. A pediatric office such as Super Kids Dental in Riverside, California, or a general family practice like Highlands Family Dentistry in Dallas, Texas, can only serve Medicaid families in its area if the state program makes participation workable for the practice. The ADA pilot is essentially an attempt to make that math work for more offices in more places.
What did the pilot find worked?
The pilot found that raising reimbursement rates alone is not enough, and that coalitions succeed only when every key decision-maker is in the room. The report's authors put it directly. "Reimbursement increases should be paired with provider outreach and education to help combat outdated information or long-held beliefs about participating in the program." They added that coalitions "are least effective when major stakeholders, such as state government or managed care organizations, are not present in carrying out these efforts."
In practice, that meant the states that moved the needle combined three things: better pay for providers, active outreach to explain the changes to dentists, and enrollment support to reduce paperwork friction. Several states also tracked "meaningful providers," defined as dentists seeing at least 100 patients a year, rather than just counting names on a roster. That distinction matters for families, because a long list of technically enrolled dentists is useless if few of them are actually open to new Medicaid patients.
How did the individual pilot states do?
Results varied by state, but the pattern favored the states that built full coalitions. Here is how the six pilot states compared, based on the ADA's reporting.
| State | Reported outcome |
|---|---|
| Maryland | Increased adult Medicaid provider participation following a dental benefit expansion. |
| Nebraska | Exceeded enrollment goals, increased paid claims, and improved quality measures. |
| Pennsylvania | Grew the number of "meaningful providers" seeing 100 or more patients a year. |
| Rhode Island | Increased provider participation and volunteerism at federally qualified health centers. |
| South Dakota | Boosted preventive services for both children and adults. |
| Ohio | Participated in the pilot; was among the states that did not post the same participation gains, underscoring that coalition design matters. |
What is the new Dental Access Partnership Across States?
The Dental Access Partnership Across States, or DAPAS, is the next phase that takes the pilot's lessons to three new states from 2026 to 2027. Montana, Virginia, and Iowa are the inaugural participants. The idea is to hand these states a tested playbook rather than asking them to start from scratch, pairing any reimbursement changes with the outreach and enrollment support that the pilot identified as essential. Ryan Dunn, CEO of the Virginia Dental Association, framed the model as organized dentistry working in concert.
"The dental access pilot is the Tripartite at its best: the ADA facilitating action in partnership with state associations, helping us learn from each other and make a meaningful impact on the health of our communities. We have already seen an incredible spirit of collaboration with the Dental Access Partnership in Virginia and are excited to work together to support dentists in increasing access to essential oral health care for Medicaid beneficiaries."
Ryan Dunn, CEO, Virginia Dental Association
How does this fit with other 2026 Medicaid dental news?
It reads as the constructive counterpoint to a year of anxious Medicaid headlines. Families have watched proposals that could pull children out of coverage, including analyses warning that cuts could leave hundreds of thousands of children without dental benefits. Our earlier report on projected Medicaid dental cuts laid out that risk. The ADA blueprint approaches the same system from the supply side instead, focusing on whether enough dentists will treat the children who are covered. Both sides of that equation, keeping kids enrolled and making sure a real dentist will see them, decide whether a child actually gets a cleaning, a sealant, or a filling.
What should families do right now?
Families do not need to wait on state programs to act. If your child is on Medicaid or CHIP, confirm your plan's current list of participating dentists, since rosters change as these initiatives roll out, and call to verify a practice is accepting new Medicaid patients before you book. If you live in Montana, Virginia, or Iowa, expect participation to shift over the next two years as DAPAS takes hold, so it is worth rechecking your options periodically. Searching a verified directory by city and by pediatric or family category is a fast way to build a short list of nearby practices to call.
Frequently asked questions
Which states are in the new ADA Medicaid partnership?
The Dental Access Partnership Across States launched for 2026 to 2027 with Montana, Virginia, and Iowa. The earlier pilot covered Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Dakota.
Does this mean my child's Medicaid dental coverage is expanding?
Not directly. The program works to increase how many dentists accept Medicaid, which improves access to care. It does not change what your state's Medicaid dental benefit covers. Check your specific plan for covered services.
Why do so few Medicaid-covered children see a dentist?
The ADA Health Policy Institute reported that fewer than half of children on Medicaid or CHIP saw a dentist in 2024, compared with about two-thirds of privately insured children. A major driver is how many local dentists participate in the program, which is exactly what this blueprint tries to raise.
Where can I read the ADA report?
The ADA published it as "Increasing Medicaid Participation in Dentistry: A Blueprint from a Six-State Pilot Program," available through the ADA at ADA.org/Medicaidblueprint.
Updated July 2026. Sources: ADA News (June 16, 2026); DrBicuspid (June 23, 2026); ADA Health Policy Institute, The Dental Care Market (2024).
