Take 5: Making Colorado healthier through access to a dentist

This program is no longer in service. 

 

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It’s Time to Take 5—and to Be Recognized for Your Commitment to Dental Access

In 2014, more than 300,000 Colorado adults qualified for dental coverage through the state’s Medicaid program. Many of these adults—including parents, expectant moms and people with chronic and developmental health conditions—were looking to access much-needed preventive and restorative dental care.

Colorado’s dentists were ready to care for these patients. The CDA took a leadership role in increasing Medicaid coverage. Through the CDA’s Take 5 program, dentist could further their commitment to helping address the oral health needs of our state.

The Take 5 Program was successful while it was operating.

The CDA worked with the state legislature to establish this program, which was designed to help encourage dentists to sign up to see Medicaid patients by providing some incentive payments to help offset some set up costs associated with enrollment, training staff, and learning billing systems.
 
When this program was operational, the state Medicaid program rewarded dentists with an extra payment of $1,000 for seeing their first five new Medicaid patients. An additional $1,000 was awarded to dentists who saw another 50 patients (a total of 55 new Medicaid patients). And another $1,000 was provided to dentists who saw another 50 new Medicaid patients (a total of $3,000 for dentists serving 105 new Medicaid patients). Dental hygienists who billed Medicaid directly for services could also be eligible for tiered bonuses under this program.
 
Each new Medicaid patient who was seen twice by the dental office between Oct. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2015, qualified under the program. Existing Medicaid providers qualified automatically for the payments; no additional action was needed from the provider. DentaQuest made reports of qualifying patients available to allow dentists to check their status in this bonus payment program.

 

10 Tips for Successful Enrollment
    
1.    Call DentaQuest’s recruiters at 855-873-1283 to discuss your participation in Medicaid.
2.    Fill out the application. There are two different applications you must complete.
3.    Call Medicaid’s credentialing team at 800-237-0757 for help filling out the application.
4.    Make a copy of your application to reference if you have questions or need to make changes.
5.    Complete and return both provider applications.
6.    Note the date when you submit your application and call 800-237-0757 after 14 days to check your status.
7.    Check the status of your application if you have not received an update after 45 days. Inactive applications might need to be resubmitted.
8.    Expect an acceptance letter from Medicaid once your application is approved (usually within 2 weeks for a complete application).
9.    Contact your regional DentaQuest representative listed on the reverse side of this card once you receive your acceptance letter.
10.    Contact Gail Reeder with Colorado Medicaid at 303-866-5187 for technical questions about enrollment or application status.

For additional questions about Medicaid and to learn more about Take 5, please call the CDA at 303-740-6900 or email info@cdaonline.org.

Dentaquest provider relations

More DentaQuest resources:
Visit dentaquest.com/colorado and click “Dentist Page.”
Claims appeal information can be found in Section 2.04 of the office reference manual on DentaQuest’s webpage for Colorado dentists.
Refer patients with questions to 855-225-1729.

Medicaid resources:
For helpful provider resources, visit www.colorado.gov/hcpf/provider-services.
Call 800-237-0757 with questions about provider enrollment.
Call Gail Reeder with Colorado Medicaid at 303-866-5187 with technical questions.

Medicaid Provider Resources