FIVE MILLION New Yorkers Will Get This Health Benefit After Settled Suit

A lawsuit against the New York State Department of Health, filed in 2018, has officially been settled, and approximately five million New Yorkers will be smiling about it. The lawsuit stemmed from a claim that millions of New Yorkers were not receiving certain necessary care under Medicaid.

That lack of coverage is set to change, and we have the latest updates on this ground-breaking legal settlement, and how it may impact you.

Get our free mobile app

Legal Settlement Provides Approx. Five Million New Yorkers with Dental Care

A story from ABC News 10 in Albany, New York shared news that a lawsuit filed against the New York State Department of Health has been settled, five years after it was originally filed.

As part of the settlement, roughly five million New Yorkers who use Medicaid will now be provided with expanded dental coverage.

As stated by Belkys Garcia, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society, New York State's perspective on dental care for its citizens was stuck in the 50s and 60s before this lawsuit was filed.

Within New York State's "dental manual", which set the standard for what was considered "essential" dental needs, New York’s rule was that you only needed four pairs of back teeth in addition to your front teeth in order to function.

That's a fairly archaic rule, right?

Thankfully, that rule will be updated as part of this expanded dental coverage. Now, New Yorkers who use their Medicaid-provided dental coverage can receive root canals, crowns, and other tooth-saving procedures instead of simply having the tooth removed.

Expanded dental coverage will go into effect 90 days after the court's official approval, according to News 10.