On July 24, the CDA attended the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee (MPRRAC) meeting to speak on the vital importance of increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for the 24 most meaningful dental codes in terms of utilization. Dr. Leah Schulz, Dr. Jeff Lodl, Dr. Garry VanGenderen and CDA Executive Director Molly Pereira testified at this meeting concerning which codes were essential to review at this time, the most current rate schedules that should be used and the importance of having the codes be reimbursed at of 100% of a reasonable benchmark standard.
Medicaid dental codes have not been reviewed in six years and a full review will be conducted next year, however, the CDA did not feel that dentistry could wait another year for this process, as reimbursement is a major factor in the provider shortage and patients’ access-to-care. The CDA Medicaid Task Force, previously chaired by Dr. Carol Morrow, was successful earlier this year when it requested a condensed rate review of 24 codes be conducted this year (with a full review still to come next year). The condensed review was the focus of the July 24 meeting.
The MPRRAC voted to recommend increases to the 24 codes recommended by the CDA using the most recent American Dental Association National Fee Schedule as a guide. These 24 dental codes are currently only at 40% of the ADA fee schedule benchmark, on average, and the committee supported the CDA’s request to increase these codes to 100% of the ADA fee schedule benchmark. The next step of this process is for MPRRAC’s recommendation to be provided to the Joint Budget Committee during the 2024 legislative session. That legislative body will vote to accept, amend or reject the recommendation.
The CDA will keep you posted on future progress of this important effort.