Wisconsin Senate Bill SB1105

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/12/26
• Refer: 3/12/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to amend 49.46 (2) (b) 1. (intro.); to create 49.43 (2x) and 49.46 (2) (bo) of the statutes; Relating to: dental services for pregnant persons under the Medical Assistance program. (FE)

Summary

SB1105 would expand Wisconsin Medicaid (Medical Assistance) dental coverage to explicitly include dental services provided by either a dentist or a dental therapist, rather than only a dentist. The bill defines “dental therapist” by reference to existing licensure law and amends the Medical Assistance dental services provision so that covered basic dental services may be delivered by either provider type. The bill also creates a new access requirement for pregnant Medical Assistance recipients. If a recipient is pregnant at the time of referral for dental services, or becomes pregnant before the scheduled appointment, the Department of Health Services must ensure that the person has the opportunity to be seen by the referred dentist or dental therapist within 30 days of the referral. In effect, the bill creates a pregnancy-specific timeliness standard for Medicaid dental care.

Impact

The bill would amend Wisconsin’s Medical Assistance statutes, specifically s. 49.46, to broaden who may provide covered basic dental services and to impose a 30-day access requirement for pregnant enrollees referred for dental care. It would also add a new statutory definition of “dental therapist” in s. 49.43, tying Medicaid coverage to the existing dental therapist licensing framework under ch. 447. The practical effect would be to expand provider eligibility under Medicaid and increase the Department of Health Services’ responsibility to monitor and ensure timely dental appointments for pregnant recipients.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote, so there is no detailed public debate to gauge. The bill’s framing suggests a policy focus on improving maternal oral health and increasing access to care for low-income pregnant people, which is generally associated with supportive public-health sentiment. However, because the bill failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1, it did not advance to enactment despite being introduced with multiple bipartisan-style cosponsors in the legislature.

Contention

The main policy issue appears to be whether Medicaid should cover dental services delivered by dental therapists, not just dentists, and whether DHS should be required to guarantee a 30-day appointment window for pregnant recipients. Potential points of contention include provider scope-of-practice concerns, administrative feasibility of enforcing the 30-day standard, and any fiscal impact on the Medical Assistance program. The bill text and available history do not identify specific opponents, but these kinds of access-expansion and provider-authority changes are the likely areas of disagreement.