CDHP Issue Brief Understanding Medicaid State Waivers and their Impact on Children’s Dental Coverage

With Medicaid continuing to dominate many governors’ agendas, many governors are looking to the federal government for options to contain state costs by significantly altering the basic structure of children’s coverage. Medicaid waivers, particularly “1115 waivers,” have become a primary method for some states to contain Medicaid expenditures. While these waivers were once a strategy for expanding Medicaid coverage, they have now become a battleground for maintaining fundamental pediatric services.