The dental director of one of the state’s community health centers says Iowa is seeing a critical gap in dentists who will take patients with Medicaid coverage. Dr. Ashley Huber (HYOO-ber), of the Siouxland Community Health Center in Sioux City, says for the past 18 months, her clinic has been restricting new patients to only children, and it’s hard when they have to turn people away, especially those who are in pain.

(As above) Huber says, “We have patients that come up to our front desk in tears, and they’re like, ‘I just can’t do it, I can’t take it anymore.’” The Iowa Dental Association says dental Medicaid rates have been stagnant for more than 20 years, making it difficult for patients and for dentists. The shortage of dentists who treat Medicaid patients is a widespread issue, but Huber says it’s even more noticeable in western Iowa.

(As above) “It becomes an issue where a patient gets so infected that they end up in the ER,” Huber says, “and they end up with this giant hospital bill, or the state ends up with a giant hospital bill.” Huber says Medicaid doesn’t pay enough to cover overhead costs.

(Siouxland Community Healthcare photo)

She believes a strategically structured increase in reimbursement rates for Iowa Medicaid would be one solution to draw dentists back into the provider pool. She also sees a need for more dental assistants.
(Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)