Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2022-23 budget proposal, unveiled this week, is good news for dentistry and the oral health of Michiganders. The governor called for significant investments in two critical areas:

• $68.7 million in adult dental Medicaid coverage, which will result in $243 million total when related federal funds are included.
• $1.2 million to provide access to dental care under general anesthesia, resulting in $4.3 million with federal funds.

In addition, the governor’s budget maintained current funding levels for other dental items including the Michigan Donated Dental Services (DDS) program ($150,000); Healthy Moms Healthy Babies dental extension for one year post-partum; kindergarten dental screenings ($1.76 million); local health departments/non-profit dental clinics ($1.75 million); Healthy Kids Dental; and Healthy Michigan Plan.

The MDA has long advocated for increasing reimbursement rates for adult dental Medicaid. Michigan’s reimbursement rates lag far behind neighboring states. The governor’s proposal calls for the current fee-for-service Medicaid dental coverage, Healthy Michigan Plan dental coverage, and Healthy Kids Dental plan to be combined under one managed care contract, with the successful Healthy Kids Dental program as the model. With the growing number of patients covered by government insurance programs, such a move would create a significant positive impact on Michigan’s families and workforce.

While the new state budget year takes effect Oct. 1, 2022, reform to the Medicaid program will likely take much longer to implement, as the state will need to put out a Request For Proposals and complete a bidding process with potential vendors. The process involves several steps, including many opportunities for the MDA to provide input on program details.

Dentists’ access to hospital and ambulatory care centers for patients who require care under general anesthesia has been a big problem in recent years, and only worsened by the pandemic. The MDA has been engaging stakeholders and educating legislators on this critical need. The proposed funding will reduce barriers to care by increasing payments to facilities and anesthesia providers, an important step in the right direction.

But the proposed budget is not the final budget. The two chambers of the Legislature will now negotiate, and once agreement is reached, the budget will be passed back to the governor to sign. It is critical that you voice your support for these dental provisions to your legislators! If you are not already enrolled, text MDA to 52886 to sign up for the MDA’s legislative action alerts now. The MDA will keep you informed and let you know when to take action.