April 19, 2016
The numbers are in, and a big thank you is due to Colorado’s dentists who have shown an impressive commitment to serving Medicaid patients in our state!
In Medicaid’s first complete year offering adults dental services in Colorado, Medicaid dental providers served about 285,300 adult members. Roughly 33% of all dental-eligible adult members received dental services in 2015–a rate that is on par with Medicaid utilization rates in many states whose benefits have been active for years.
In addition, there was a 50% increase in the total number of dental providers in the Medicaid network from 2014 to 2015. At the end of 2015, there were 2,099 providers in the Medicaid network, which represents nearly 50% of actively practicing Colorado dentists.
Thank you to all CDA members who stepped up to make these numbers possible. Your commitment to serving the at-need population in our state is being recognized by state policymakers and oral health advocates. Your endurance through the substantial administrative hurdles encountered during the program rollout and recent revalidation efforts has not gone unnoticed. The CDA continues to work to improve providers’ experiences with the program, and the continued participation and support of dental providers is certainly needed. Thank you to Colorado’s dentists for stepping up when it truly matters!