The WDA has spent many years working to improve the state’s dental Medicaid program. However, dental patients enrolled in the state insurance programs (e.g., MA, BadgerCare, BadgerCare plus) have the greatest influence in helping legislators understand the difficulty in accessing dental care.

State residents need to voice their frustrations and complaints to their state Senate and Assembly representatives (see contact information under “Who Are My Legislators?” section below) and Department of Health Services, which administers the MA programs. 

How to effectively communicate with legislators

Elected officials want and need to hear from their constituents. Here are some tips for effective phone, written and e-mail communications:

• Written letters and e-mail messages
  • Address correspondence to The Honorable (full name).
  • State in the first paragraph why you are writing (e.g., your ongoing concerns about the lack of priority given to fund dental care promised under the state’s MA program).
  • Be courteous, but to-the-point.
  • Include key information and personal experiences or examples that support your position.
  • Address only one issue in each letter or e-mail message.
  • Keep written letters to one page, if possible.
• Telephone calls
  • Phone calls are generally taken by a legislative staff member. Ask to speak to the aide who handles the issue you are calling about.
  • Identify yourself. Tell the aide you want to leave a brief message, such as, “Please tell Senator/Representative (name) that I support/oppose (bill/issue).”
  • Briefly explain your support or opposition and ask for your senator’s/representative’s position on the issue. You also may request a written response to your call.

Sample letter templates from BadgerCare Plus recipients

Many BadgerCare Plus recipients are confused and frustrated by the new program. If you are one of these patients, tell your local state representative(s).

The WDA has developed four letter templates for you to customize and send to your legislator(s) as another way to show them how a system that was supposed to help all Wisconsin residents has, in some instances, actually hindered their ability to access care.

All letters are in Microsoft Word format for easy customizing and editing.

• Letter 1
• Letter 2

Who are my legislators?

Click on the following link to enter your voting address to find contact information for your state and federal legislators:

• Find your legislators

If you are a WDA member dentist and talk to your legislators about dental-related issues, please share a summary of your communication with your WDA Legislative Office staff. Although originally used for WDA Legislative Day in February 2010, we encourage members to use this form year-round to help us keep current on legislators’ interactions with grassroots members.

Legislator contact report form

Wisconsin legislators comment on Mission of Mercy, dental access

One goal of the WDA and WDA Foundation Mission of Mercy is to challenge patients, policymakers and dental professionals to work together to reduce dental disease and improve the oral health of Wisconsin residents, including those who have been promised care by the state.

A special invitation to tour the MOM free dental clinic near Wausau in June 2011 was extended to state, local and national policymakers to help them see the human faces of Wisconsin’s dental access problem.

Five state legislators and Wisconsin's Medicaid director accepted the WDA invite. Each was asked:

1. What is your impression after touring the WDA Mission of Mercy project?
2. What do you think needs to be done from a state perspective to prevent the need for this type of large-scale charity care effort in the future?

Whether you live and/or work in one of the legislative districts represented by the five elected officials listed below, their comments demonstrate WDA’s effort to educate legislators about the broader dental barriers-to-care issue by connecting them with actual patients who need dental care and seek to obtain it at our MOM event.

After viewing a legislator clip, please consider sending an e-mail thanking the elected official for visiting MOM and inviting him or her to work with you and the WDA on viable dental access solutions. Find contact information for state and federal legislators by clicking here.