It’s Not Just About the Money: Medicaid Rates & Challenges to Increase Access & Provider Participation

Session Description: Missouri Medicaid rates increased significantly in 2022 (about 80% UCR, on par with commercial rates) due to successful advocacy by the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health (MCOH). The rate increase was viewed as key pivot point, but MCOH did not consider it adequate to increase provider participation. MCOH formed partnerships with the Missouri Dental Association (MDA) and MO HealthNet (the state Medicaid agency) to address other barriers contributing to low dental provider participation. MCOH works directly with providers to support enrollment in Missouri Medicaid. Many barriers have been identified through this work, including needed policy change, operational issues and provider education. The number of Medicaid providers has increased, and more Medicaid participants are accessing dental care. MCOH and MO HealthNet will discuss the ongoing collaborative work with providers, identification of barriers and efforts to address those.