Be their reason to smile! Did you know 7 out of 10 people enrolled in Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus did not see a dentist in 2021? As of June 22, the Wisconsin Medicaid member enrollment was at 1,558,106, which translates into approximately 25% of the total population of Wisconsin requiring Medicaid services.
By becoming a Medicaid provider and providing dental services to Medicaid members, you will be directly reducing the enormous burden of dental disease for 25% of our population. This includes families that live and work in the community you serve. Medicaid provides coverage for services that people with limited income otherwise couldn’t afford. Providing community members with access to dental care can increase overall wellness in your community.
I have been a Medicaid provider since 1982. I cannot overemphasize how profoundly rewarding it is to provide desperately needed care for this under-resourced and vulnerable population. In some cases, you’re able to provide care and relief for serious oral conditions that may have existed for years and even decades. The amazing and uplifting feeling you experience when seeing the gratitude from patients and their family members in these situations is one of the greatest benefits of doing this work. This is amplified even more when I provide both clinical and hospital-based treatment for individuals with special needs.
Enrolling is easier than you might think, and you can see as many patients as you want. You can start small by seeing a few families or patients at a time. If every licensed provider could see one patient per week or even per month, it would provide a major step forward to solve the dental healthcare crisis in our state.
Effective Jan. 1, 2022, Wisconsin Medicaid providers received a rate increase for dental services. You can use the Forward Health Provider Portal to get online approval, bill Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus and control your caseload. By adding Medicaid clients as your patients, your neighbors will have access to dental care and services that will prevent more complicated procedures later.
For more information on Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus enrollment and billing, visit the Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus Providers in Wisconsin section at Oral Health Program: Workforce.
In conclusion, please consider becoming a Medicaid provider if you aren’t one currently. Just imagine how you would feel if it was one of your loved ones suffering from oral pain and could not find any dental provider to help them!
