Low reimbursement rates are keeping Nebraska dentists from accepting more Medicaid patients, making it difficult for patients to access care, the Flatwater Free Press reported Aug. 10.
Seven things to know:
1. Many patients have to take long drives or wait for extended periods of time for appointments.
2. The number of dental providers reimbursed after treating at least one Medicaid-eligible patient has dropped by 37 percent in the last five years.
3. Forty-three counties in the state do not have any dentists to treat low-income residents.
4. Most Medicaid providers are concentrated around two metropolitan areas, Omaha and Lincoln.
5. The state's reimbursement fees are lower than those of most surrounding states, with Nebraska's Medicaid program covering an average of 39 percent of costs, according to a 2021 survey from the Nebraska Dental Association.
6. The state increased reimbursement rates by 3 percent this year, but efforts to increase them again in 2024 were blocked by Gov. Jim Pillen.
7. Several changes are coming to the state's Medicaid program to increase access to care and increase compensation for dentists. Nebraska’s $750 cap on adult dental benefits will be removed in January, and the state will also begin to reimburse dentists for each step of treatment for dentures and wisdom tooth extraction.