Excerpt from: AnnArbor.com (click for full article)
Washtenaw County’s next move to help low-income individuals gain access to services may be in the form of a new dental clinic for individuals on Medicaid.
“We have met people who are ashamed to smile, and that’s embarrassing. Their self-worth is lowered. Their ability to interact with people is diminished, and their ability to apply for a job is diminished,” said Dick Fleece, director of Washtenaw County Public Health.
Less than one percent of the 300 dentists in Washtenaw County accept Medicaid patients because the reimbursement rate for dental care through the program is “dismally low,” Fleece said.
There are various free clinics in existence now -- including Hope Clinic and the University of Michigan School of Dentistry's Community Dental Clinic -- but there is a greater need for a clinic to provide dental services, Fleece said.
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