HomeMy WebLinkAboutState of WA Health Care Authority J 1 AUG 1 82016
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STATE OF WASHINGTON CITY o� FORT �a� L�
CITY CLERK
HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY
626 8th Avenue, SE • P.O. Box 45506 . Olympia, Washington 98504-5506
August 11, 2016
Mayor Patrick Downie
321 East Fifth Street
PO BOX 1150
Port Angeles, WA 98362-0217
Dear Mr. Downie:
This is in response to a letter forwarded to us from the Department of Health.
The Health Care Authority manages the Apple Health/Medicaid benefits, including dental services. We
have not heard of access issues for children due to our reimbursement rates. The rates for children's
dental services are higher than our rates for adults and if a provider chooses to become an ABCD certified
provider(Access to Baby& Child Dentistry), they can obtain an even higher rate for serving children
ages 5 and younger.
We work very closely with the ABCD stakeholders in the community, each county has an ABCD
coordinator that receives funding to provide outreach to clients/families and providers. We also work
very closely with the Washington Dental Services Foundation,the Washington Dental Association and
local pediatric dentists.
If there are individual clients needing assistance, we are always happy to help. We have a customer
service center that can provide answers and provide a list of providers seeing Medicaid clients, however
sometimes they may have to seek"specialty care" at Children's Hospital or the U of W Pediatric center.
We are unable to sustain this enhanced rate without authorization and budgetary support from the
Legislature so would encourage you and the academy to pursue this conversation through legislative
channels. Unfortunately, an increase in rates for dental services require authorization and budgetary
support from the Legislature, so would encourage you to pursue this conversation through legislative
channels
Please let me know if there is anything else we can assist you with.
Sincerely,
Daniel S. Lessler, MD, MHA
Chief Medical Officer