Michigan has proposed Medicaid policy to increase access to dental services for children by expanding participating Healthy Kids Dental counties from 75 to 78 counties. Healthy Kids Dental uses the Delta Dental provider network. The Legislature appropriated $11.6 million and selected the counties to be included in this expansion.
Effective October 1, 2013, as required by the Public Act 59 of 2013, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) will expand the Healthy Kids Dental contract with Delta Dental Plan of Michigan to administer the Healthy Kids Dental benefit in Ingham, Ottawa, and Washtenaw counties.
My question is if there is going to be a universal cost reimbursement system for all the counties.
It has previously been raised that there are extreme disparities in Medicaid payments to dentists in Wayne and other heavily populated counties. For Wayne County, there are many dentists who have told me they are better off not providing Medicaid dental services to children because the cost reimbursements were at levels of ten cents on the dollar. In some instances it actually cost the dentist to provide child welfare dental services.
For this reason many dentists will not locate in Wayne County, or more so, the metropolitan Detroit area because it is financially impossible to operate a profitable practice.
Children are the ones who loose out as studies have shown there is a direct correlation between dental hygiene and learning. Simply put, if your teeth hurt that's where your attention is focused.
I have not yet to inquired on the publication of payment rates. Previous responses from the state have stated that there are no such records. There should be no reason why Wayne County kids do not get the opportunity for the same dental treatments. I hope changes have been made in this regard.
Michigan Child Welfare Dental Medicaid Expansion Policy
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