Improving Language Access to Oral Healthcare for Adult Refugee Medicaid Beneficiaries in Dekalb County, Georgia

Abstract

Oral healthcare is a relatively inaccessible, costly service for all Americans. Triple the number of adults are uninsured for oral healthcare as are uninsured for medical care. Dental benefits are not federally mandated for the adult Medicaid program. Refugees face additional barriers on top of costs: challenges in navigating a new healthcare system, transportation, and, crucially, language hinder refugees’ access to oral healthcare. In a political context that further constrains resources for those who may fall outside majoritized groups, refugees, especially those who are not yet citizens or English-speakers, stand to be more adversely impacted. Ethne Dental, a non-profit, charitable clinic in Clarkston, Georgia, desires to grow its role as an advocate for their adult refugee patients, many of whom are covered by Medicaid. Ethne Dental’s leadership understands that their patient population faces many barriers to care, and equitable implementation of expanded benefits under the August 2024 Georgia State Plan Amendment is paramount. Ethne Dental would like to understand the current network of oral health providers that accept Medicaid and provide interpretation, alongside lessons learned from dental SPA implementations in other states. This report seeks to answer the following questions: What is the current level of access to linguistically appropriate oral healthcare for adult refugee Medicaid beneficiaries in Dekalb County? How can Ethne Dental advocate for increased language access to Medicaid dental services for their adult refugee population?