TIME SENSITIVE TAKE ACTION NOW!

Please Call YOUR SENATOR who REPRESENTS YOU and ask them to

Oppose Senate Resolution S 434 which would allow the SC DHHS Director to CUT PROVIDER RATES!

This resolution will be heard in the Full Senate Finance  

Committee on Tuesday, February 8, 2011

This past Tuesday, February 1, 2011, the Senate Finance Committee met to consider S 434 which would cancel the current proviso that prohibits the Medicaid Director from reducing provider rates.  The Committee heard from both the new Medicaid Director Tony Keck and most of the provider groups that were represented.  The SCDA was present and testified as to why cutting rates is not the answer.  In the end, we were pleased that the Committee decided to delay its vote until next Tuesday, February 8, 2011.

This will be the SCDA's chance to contact those Committee members and urge them to vote against S 434.  The list of Senators on the Committee and their Contact Dentist is listed below along with their contact information.  If you click on the link of the particular Senator, a screen appears with all of their contact information.

Although the contact dentists have been asked to call their Senator, we are asking the SCDA membership to see the list below and if you know one of the Senators, please contact them.  Also, even if you do not personally know the Senator, please contact the one who represents you.

Due to the current budget situation, S 434 will probably pass out of Committee next week, but we CANNOT SIT back and do NOTHING.  This is our chance to be heard.  Please act NOW!

When you contact one of the Committee Members, use the following FACTS:

FACT - The adult emergency dental program was eliminated by the previous Director and upheld by the new DHHS Director Keck without input from the dentists or the SCDA on cost savings alternatives.  The elimination of the adult emergency dental program has only shifted costs to more expensive medical delivery systems.  We are concerned that Director Keck will also cut rates without our input.

FACT - Significant rate cuts will result in decreased access to care.  A dental practice has a high overhead.  Dentists, like anyone else, have to at least break even when treating a Medicaid patient.  There has been no rate increases since 2002 and if rates are cut, dentists will have to stop taking Medicaid patients.  The patients will suffer and have a difficulty finding a dentist for care and will seek that care in a more expensive health care delivery model like hospitals.

FACT - The State of SC currently enjoys one of the top dental Medicaid programs in the United States and statistics show that more and more recipients have been treated each year since 2000, if the rates are cut we will find ourselves in the crisis we faced in the late 1990's when we had a decreasing number of providers and decreasing services to beneficiaries.

FACT - If dentists do continue to treat Medicaid recipients at a reduced rate, someone has to make up the difference.  Costs will be passed on to the private pay patients who are already struggling themselves in many areas of the state.  Some dentists may even be forced to lay off office staff due to no longer being able to afford to see Medicaid patients.

The SCDA realizes that this is a critical time in our State and some tough decisions have to be made.  The SCDA also notes that it is willing to sit down with any legislator and/or Mr. Keck to discuss options for the dental program in SC, but that cutting rates is NOT THE ANSWER.  Senator, PLEASE vote NO to S 434 next Tuesday.