Primary Health Care reports rise in uninsured dental patients, ARPA funds nearly exhausted

Primary Health Care reported to the Story County Board of Supervisors on April 21 that its dental clinic served 1,783 unduplicated dental patients in fiscal 2025 and provided 3,892 dental visits.

"Of those patients served about 1,900 were on state insurance and then 431 were uninsured," said Stephanie Bow, chief administrative officer for Primary Health Care. Bow told supervisors the clinic provided both medical and dental services at the same site and that 589 patients received both types of care during the fiscal year.

Bow said the clinic has seen about a 57% increase in uninsured patients over the last two years, which she attributed in part to the Medicaid unwinding. She said ARPA grant funding that has supported expanded access is nearly spent: "the primary healthcare ARPA funding is nearly spent with approximately $8,000 of those grant funds remaining." Bow added that staff expect to spend the remaining ARPA funds by November and will rely on patient revenue and other payers to sustain services after those dollars are expended.

Bow also described a change in how the clinic delivers dental navigation services, saying those functions were moved into a centralized referral department rather than being performed by one dedicated staff member. Because of that change, she said the award of $2,545 will not likely be fully spent and staff estimate spending roughly $1,000 of that allocation this fiscal year.

Board members thanked Primary Health Care for integrating medical and dental services and for maintaining access in Story County. The board did not take action; the report was for information.