The dental health care in Wisconsin has specific changes that would support expanding dental educational options and dental care for those in need. Read more
Governor Evers
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2024 |
| Contact: GovPress@wisconsin. |
| Gov. Evers Signs Five Bipartisan Bills to Improve Access to Dental Healthcare, Bolster Healthcare Workforce |
| MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today, at a public bill signing ceremony at Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau, took action on a package of five bipartisan bills aimed at improving access to dental healthcare, particularly in rural communities, and bolstering the dental workforce. The governor signed this legislation at NTC as they offer premier dental hygienist and dental assistant programs, and the college will be allocated up to $2 million to support these programs and develop a new dental therapy program under the provisions of Senate Bill 702, which is one of the bills in the package signed today. “The health and well-being of our state and our economy depend on the health and well-being of our communities, including ensuring that all Wisconsinites have access to quality, affordable healthcare. I am proud to sign these five bipartisan bills that will move us forward in our work to address shortages and bolster our dental healthcare workforce while also closing gaps in access across the state,” said Gov. Evers. “Coupled with my administration’s new Healthcare Workforce Task Force, these bills will help us build upon our administration’s work to support and strengthen this workforce and ensure more folks can get the dental care they need, especially in our rural communities while finding real, long-term solutions to address the challenges our healthcare industry faces today.” This bill package comes as, earlier this week, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #220 to create the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce. The task force, led by Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, will be charged with studying the workforce challenges facing the state’s healthcare systems and creating an action plan with solutions related to workforce development, industry innovation, education, and training for consideration in the governor’s 2025-27 biennial budget. Notably, the package includes Senate Bill 689, now 2024 Wisconsin Act 87, which authorizes the licensure of dental therapists, a mid-level dental provider similar to a physician’s assistant who will be able to provide both preventive and restorative services and help fill gaps in care in areas where there are shortages of dentists. According to January 2024 data from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, there are 160 dental care health professional shortage areas in the state. Under the bill, dental therapists must either limit their practice to federally defined dental shortage areas or practice in settings where at least 50 percent of their patient base consists of certain specified populations, such as Medicaid patients, uninsured patients, residents of long-term care facilities, Tribal citizens, and veterans. Gov. Evers has proposed licensure of dental therapists in three consecutive biennial budgets, but despite bipartisan support, the provision has been removed from the budget by Republicans on the Joint Committee on Finance (JFC) each time, and standalone legislation has similarly been blocked by Republican leadership until now. Another bill in the package, Senate Bill 702, would significantly improve the ability of technical colleges across the state to support and strengthen the dental and oral hygiene workforce, as it provides guidelines for the allocation of $20 million for oral healthcare workforce initiatives that was set aside for the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) in the JFC’s supplemental appropriation during the 2023-25 biennial budget process. Under the bill, the WTCS Board must submit a plan to the JFC that allocates up to $2 million for NTC to expand its current dental hygienist and dental assistant programs and to develop a new dental therapy program. The plan must also provide up to $1.43 million for any other technical college that offers a dental hygienist program and up to $1 million for any technical college that currently does not offer a dental program or only a dental assistant program to create a new program or expand an existing program. Apart from these allocations, other eligible expenditures under the bill include capital expenditures, such as expenditures for equipment or facility improvements or expansion, expenditures for instructional supplies, teaching materials, and resources, or clinic fees, and hiring bonuses of up to $5,000 for oral health care instructors if certain requirements are satisfied. This bill package builds upon Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration’s previous efforts to expand access to dental care and bolster the dental healthcare workforce. The 2019-21 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers provided an additional $2 million for the DHS’s oral health program, including $1.2 million to increase funding for dental clinics that serve low-income patients and $750,000 to increase funding for the Seal-A-Smile program, which provides preventive and restorative dental services for kids in K-12 schools. The 2019-21 budget also provided a $2.5 million increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services provided to individuals with disabilities. Further, the 2021-23 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers provided a 40 percent increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates and provided $120,000 to increase funding for dental loan repayments for dentists who provide services in rural areas. In addition to the $20 million allocated for oral healthcare workforce initiatives mentioned above, the recent 2023-25 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers this past year also provided:
The bills the governor signed include:
Senate Bill 689, now 2024 Wisconsin Act 87:
Senate Bill 702, now 2024 Wisconsin Act 89:
Assembly Bill 62, now 2024 Wisconsin Act 91:
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