Evers to propose spending $43 million on rural dental care

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers says he plans to propose spending more than $43 million over the next two years to expand access to dental care in Wisconsin, particularly in underserved rural areas.

The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reported Monday that More than $16 million is targeted to increase reimbursement rates for dental providers who see patients on Medicaid, the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram reported Monday.

The governor’s proposal also includes creating a “dental therapist licensure,” allowing for a midlevel dental provider to address a shortage of providers across Wisconsin.

More than 200 dentists are estimated to be needed in Wisconsin for high shortage areas.

Evers also wants to allocate $60,000 each of the next two years to pay for loan repayments of dentists who opt to serve rural areas. He also wants to spend nearly $1.3 million more on grants for dental clinics that serve low-income patients.