Wisconsin residents continue to experience challenges with accessing dental care despite recent legislative changes the state has made to improve accessibility, The Cap Times reported Sept. 4.
Eight notes:
1. Wisconsin has provided adult dental care coverage under Medicaid for more than 40 years.
2. Medicaid covers one in seven adults in the state.
3. Wisconsin is one of 10 states that have not accepted federal money to expand its Medicaid program.
4. Fewer than 10% of Medicaid beneficiaries in the state received preventive dental care between 2021 and 2022, according to an analysis by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
5. About one-third of counties in the state have only one dentist per 2,000 residents, and most dentists in the state do not accept Medicaid.
6. Wisconsin raised its reimbursement rate for Medicaid services by 40% in 2021 and launched a training campaign for dentists. Many dentists, however, say the increase still is not enough to cover the costs.
7. About 1.3 million people in the state are covered under Medicare, requiring them to purchase separate dental insurance plans or pay out of pocket for care.
8. Several initiatives are underway to expand access to oral healthcare in the state, including continued Medicaid recruitment efforts, several dental workforce bills and training programs for dental assistants and hygienists.