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(10) Dental Care Access

ISSUE:

Access to dental care for most individuals with developmental disabilities is restricted because of a lack of providers willing and qualified to serve individuals with developmental disabilities on Medicaid. Many children and most adults with developmental disabilities rely on Medicaid for dental coverage. Medicaid covers a broad array of dental services but offers dentists reimbursement rates so low that basic overhead costs are not covered. Additionally, dentists find the paper work required by Medicaid to be burdensome and inefficient, adding to their disincentive to accept Medicaid patients.

POSITION:

The WCDD supports initiatives that address the problems of limited dental coverage and reimbursement for people with developmental

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES:

• Increase of $8,614,045 in state funds and $12,293,830 federal match to change reimbursement rates from the current 69% for the usual and customary charges for children, and the current 65% for services for adults to a flat reimbursement rate of 75%.
• Increase of $378,466 in state funds and $551,178 federal match to fund coverage of preventative dental services in Medicaid and private health plans, and make coverage available across the life span.
• Provide additional reimbursement to dentists providing dental services to individuals with disabilities requiring extended appointments for procedures.

Back to WCDD Home Page > Introduction

1. Introduction
2. Birth to Three
3. Campaign Finance Reform
4. Children's Long Term Care Redesign
5. Community Aids
6. Community Integration Program
7. Community Options Program
8. Dental Care Access
9. Direct Service Workforce Shortage
10. Education of Students with Disabilities
11. Employment
12. Family Care Program
13. Family Support Program
14. Independent Living Assistive Technology
15. Medicaid Card Services
16. Mental Health: Fairness in Insurance
17. Mental Health: Services & Supports
18. Protecting People with Disabilities from Abuse
19. Respite Care
20. Specialized Transportation
21. State Centers for the Developmentally Disabled
22. Voting Reforms
23. Welfare Reform & People with Disabilities