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Kansas advocates push to finish Medicaid dental rate increase, request $12 million to sustain provider growth
Summary
Dental providers and advocates urged the Committee on Social Services Budget to fund the final $12 million SGF to complete a Medicaid dental rate increase, arguing early gains in provider participation require continued investment to preserve access for low‑income Kansans.
Testimony before the Committee on Social Services Budget on Jan. 28 centered on finishing a multiyear Medicaid dental rate increase to stabilize and grow the provider network that serves children and adults enrolled in KanCare. Advocates said the partial increase approved last year produced measurable gains but left a funding gap that risks reversing progress.
Speakers including Janelle Shoemaker of Adventure Dental, pediatric dentist Jill Jenkins, Dr. Mary Anne Lynch Small of Oral Health Kansas and Tanya Dorf Bruner from Bridal Health Kansas told the committee that Kansas still lags neighboring states in dentist participation in Medicaid and that low reimbursement drives fewer providers to accept KanCare patients.…
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