Find a dentist that takes Medicaid in New York

Alex Chen

Updated August 17, 2026 · 3 min read

Summary: Many New York dental offices say they "take Medicaid" but aren't accepting new Medicaid patients — in fact a federal study found about 35% of providers listed as "accepting new patients" weren't when called. In New York, dental runs through your managed-care plan’s dental administrator (often DentaQuest or Healthplex), and the only reliable way to know is to call and confirm before you book.

Step by step

Confirm your New York Medicaid plan name and member ID — the office will ask for the plan, not just "Medicaid".
Pull a shortlist from the official directory: your managed-care plan’s dental administrator (often DentaQuest or Healthplex)’s dentist search, or https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/managed_care/; InsureKidsNow.gov has a national locator for children.
In the directory, filter by "Dental/Dentist" and look for a "currently accepting new patients" indicator.
Call each office and confirm two things: do they accept your specific plan, and are they taking NEW Medicaid patients.
Ask about wait times and book the first office that confirms both.

Medicaid in New York: who runs it

New York’s program is New York State Medicaid (mostly Medicaid Managed Care plans), run by the New York State Department of Health. The member line is 1-800-541-2831 (NYS Medicaid helpline), and the official plan and provider directory is at https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/managed_care/.

Dental is handled by your managed-care plan — dental is included in New York Medicaid Managed Care, and most plans subcontract it to a dental administrator such as DentaQuest or Healthplex, which runs the dentist directory.

Plans you’ll see in New York

The office will ask which plan you have, not just "Medicaid" — the name is on your card. The main managed-care plans in the state:

Fidelis Care
Healthfirst
MetroPlusHealth
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
MVP Health Care
Molina Healthcare of New York

New York-specific things to know

New York includes adult dental in Medicaid, which is unusual — but the plan’s dental subcontractor (often DentaQuest or Healthplex) is who actually lists the dentists.
New York City has a large concentration of Medicaid dentists, but many cap new patients; upstate the directory is thinner and calling ahead matters more.
NY State of Health is the marketplace where most people enroll; the plan card names the managed-care plan to search under.
New York expanded Medicaid, so adult eligibility is broader and plans compete for members — plan member lines are generally responsive.

Common mistakes to avoid

Trusting an online "accepts Medicaid" listing without calling to confirm.
Not asking specifically whether they take NEW Medicaid patients.
Giving up after a few "no"s instead of working down the list.

Let Karen make the calls

Karen calls down the list for you and reports back what it found — you just pick.

If Karen needs a detail she doesn’t have, or someone asks to verify your identity, she’ll add you to the call for a quick warm handoff so you can take over.

Have Karen make the call

20 free minutes to start · then from 5.5¢/minute · no subscription

Frequently asked questions

Why is it so hard to find a dentist that takes Medicaid in New York?

Many offices cap how many Medicaid patients they take or pause new intake, so directories go stale — a federal study found roughly 35% of "accepting new patients" listings were wrong when called. Phoning to confirm is the only reliable check.

Where are the official New York Medicaid dentist directories?

Start with your managed-care plan’s dental administrator (often DentaQuest or Healthplex)’s directory and the New York State Department of Health’s site (https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/managed_care/); InsureKidsNow.gov has a national locator for children.

Does New York Medicaid cover adult dental?

Yes — New York is one of the states that covers adult dental under Medicaid. Your managed-care plan, usually through a dental administrator like DentaQuest or Healthplex, lists the dentists.

How do I find my New York Medicaid plan’s dentist directory?

Start from your plan (Fidelis, Healthfirst, MetroPlus, etc.); its site links to the dental directory. The NYS Medicaid helpline at 1-800-541-2831 can confirm your plan.

Can Karen find one for me?

Yes. Karen calls down a list of New York dental offices, confirms which take your Medicaid plan and are accepting new patients, and reports back the ones that said yes.