From the Texas Dental Association:
As a part of ongoing efforts to prevent potentially devastating “rebalancing” of Medicaid dental fees, the Texas Dental Association (TDA) will meet with Health and Human Services officials in the coming weeks to discuss each of the codes individually and make recommendations about appropriate fee adjustments for each code. The recommendations will balance the state’s budgetary concerns with creating a dental rate reimbursement methodology that represents the most logical and best use of state funds to improve dental access for Medicaid children.
TDA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of its Medicaid participating dentists was instrumental in securing this meeting prior to Tuesday’s rate hearing and last Wednesday’s Health and Human Services Committee hearing. HHS Executive Commissioner Charles Smith confirmed that the agency will wait to receive TDA’s feedback before making any final decisions.
The state’s top legislative and agency decision makers seek the TDA’s presence and guidance. This is only one of many examples of the Association’s strong advocacy program on behalf of dentistry in Texas. TDA is only as strong as its membership. I urge all dentists, if not already, to become members of the Texas Dental Association in an effort to continue its long-standing efforts of being advocates for the dental professions and the patients we treat.
Dr. Joey Cazares
President – Texas Dental Association
(from August 2017 TDMR Publication)