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Medical copays reduce health care access in MS prisons; Israel planted explosives in pagers sold to Hezbollah according to official sources; Serving looks with books: Libraries fight 'fast fashion' by lending clothes; Menhaden decline threatens Virginia's ecosystem, fisheries.

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JD Vance calls for toning down political rhetoric, while calls for his resignation grow because of his own comments. The Secret Service again faces intense criticism, and a right to IVF is again voted down in the US Senate.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Dental Care for Uninsured Adults on the Chopping Block in Connecticut

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010   

HARTFORD, Conn. - Funding non-emergency dental care for low-income adults may not seem like a priority for cash-strapped Connecticut, but anyone who's ever had a toothache knows how painful it is and dentists know how soon one can turn into an emergency if left untreated, an expense that's often footed by taxpayers.

Now, however, the $266 million in federal Medicaid funding Connecticut has counted on to provide non-emergency adult dental care, among other things, is in jeopardy. The U.S. House has already passed a budget bill with that funding removed, and Lisa Reynolds, executive director of the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, hopes the Senate will restore it in a vote expected today.

"If Congress doesn't approve that federal funding, the money will not be transferred to states. States won't have those additional dollars, and most states, in that situation, may feel their only option is to cut services."

Reynolds says funding for non-emergency dental services is a critical component of the federal Medicaid funding for Connecticut that's at risk.

"These are the services that are the most affordable, and really help to mitigate much higher costs and really help to mitigate much more physical suffering."

She argues that it's short-sighted to cut non-emergency dental services, noting, for example, that a toothache could lead to serious health consequences and sometimes even prove fatal.


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