Medicaid and Dental Coverage – Wisconsin

Is coverage decaying?, By Katelyn Ferral, July 3, 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Going to the dentist can be a pain – but for Scott Oster, the pain came from not being able to find one. A toothache led Oster, 48, to enroll in the state’s BadgerCare program for dental care. But after calling every dental office on the agency’s list, Oster came up empty. ‘I’ve got the insurance; there’s just nobody that accepts it,’ said Oster, an unemployed welder. ‘I never dealt with the same person twice. That was one part that really drove me nuts.’ A Journal Sentinel reporter called every dental office listed for the city of Milwaukee on the BadgerCare Plus website. Of the 114 providers listed, only three were accepting new BadgerCare patients. BadgerCare is a Medicaid program jointly funded by the state and the federal government. The state has moved to expand BadgerCare so more have coverage, but doctors say the reimbursements for dental care are too low. That is keeping many from participating in the program…”