Recently, I had the pleasure of representing the Wisconsin Dental Association in Indianapolis at a national conference of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a free market-oriented organization of legislators and private citizens from around the country who come together annually to discuss a wide range of issues.
For the past several years, ALEC has explored the idea of endorsing midlevel providers (MLPs) as a way to alleviate what is seen in some circles as a shortage in dental providers, particularly for Medicaid recipients.
This particular conference carried significance for Wisconsin. ALEC’s national chair is state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield) and the chair of the Oral Health Access Committee was state Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette).
I joined colleagues from the American Dental Association headquarters in Chicago, as well as doctors from around the country, in advocating on behalf of dentists and emphasizing that, despite lofty promises, MLPs have yet to prove their worth without significant government subsidy. Our efforts paid off— the conference failed to endorse any form of MLP solution. Rep. Nygren’s report to the full conference indicated that, “Any effort to improve oral health care should focus on improving the existing system through prevention, navigation and fixing Medicaid — not by creating a new level of provider.”
By leveraging the power of existing relationships and the resources of colleagues from a multitude of states, we were able to change the conversation completely. This would not have been possible without the organized effort that the ADA team put together and the tripartite organization — state, local and national — in which we all participate.
