Mission: Enhance community health by offering access to quality dental care for all.
MCDC intentionally included access and quality in our mission to support our vision for oral health equity for Michiganders. Over the past decade, MCDC has worked to support conversations between policymakers, community leaders and our team to better understand the realities of dental health and its impact on the well-being and overall health of individuals and our state as a whole.
In 2022, we strengthened our focus on government relations and strategic initiatives to advance and elevate the specific steps toward breaking down barriers to improve access to quality dental care. By engaging leaders and community organizations to educate government officials, we positioned our organization as a thought leader in equitable access to dental care for all Michiganders.
2022 Medicaid Dental Reform
Our industry was taken by surprise when Governor Whitmer proposed a budget that would streamline access to the Medicaid Dental Benefit. This landmark budget proposal is the first of its kind in more than 30 years to allocate $243.3 million toward contracts with Dental Health Plans and $4.3 million to increase the dental procedure reimbursement rate.
Our CEO Dr. Deborah Brown — appointed to serve on the Michigan Board of Dentistry by Governor Gretchen Whitmer — accepted the opportunity to present to both the Michigan House and Senate regarding the importance of oral health. She took the opportunity to elevate the voices of our great state’s skilled providers and patients in need of care while sharing policy recommendations and a call to decision makers to support oral health and end oral health inequities in Michigan.
On October 1, 2022, MCDC received the good news that the Michigan legislature passed a historic reform to the state’s Medicaid adult dental program with the 2023 state budget. The reform increased payment rates, allowing providers who accept Medicaid adults to see higher payment for services across the board. In addition, there will be an expanded scope of services to include services such as periodontal maintenance, root planing (SRP), crowns and root canals.
MCDC played a significant role and will continue to advocate with local and state elected officials to improve Michigan’s Medicaid program and expand access to care for all.
Kindergarten Oral Health Assessments
One in four Michigan third graders have untreated dental disease, according to the Michigan Department of Community Health. That is why when it came to policies to improve dental health for children, partners advocated for kindergarten assessments.
In June of 2022, MDHHS began contracting with local health departments to implement the Michigan law that was passed. The Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment Program (KOHA) aims to improve school readiness and raise awareness of the importance of good oral health. MCDC has partnered with the Allegan County, Bay County and City of Detroit health departments to provide assessments to the community, as well as statewide oral health coordinators to create awareness and oral health literacy.
