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Tuition Reimbursement Program

This program provides qualifying dentists a payment in return for three coninuous years of practice in an eligible rural community. Dentists must enter into a contract with the South Dakota Department of Health in order to participate in the program. The amount of tuition reimbursement for a qualifying dentist is equal to twice the current USD school of Medicine's resident tuition for a four-year period. Since South Dakota does not have a dental school, the USD School of Medicine's resident tuition is being used as the basis for reimbursement. The current amount is approximately $110,000.

To be eligible a Dentist must:

  • Be licensed as a Dentist in South Dakota.

  • Agree to practice as a general dentist in an eligible community for at least three consecutive years.

  • Provide services to Medicaid Patients.

To be eligible a community must:

  • Have a population of 10,000 or less

  • Have been assessed by the Department of Health and determined to both need and be able to sustain a dentist.

  • Agree to pay a pro-rated portion of the total reimbursement payments:

Under 2,500 population - 25%
2,500 - 5,000 population - 50%
Over 5,000 population - 75%

Contact Information

Karen Cudmore, Office of Rural Health
600 E Capitol
Pierre SD 57501
Email: karen.cudmore@state.sd.us
Phone: 1-800-738-2301
www.doh.sd.gov/RuralHealth/recruit.aspx
 

News Items

2010 Legislative Session in Final Week

The SDDA's legislation to preclude insurance companies from dictating maximum allowable charges for non-covered services has cleared the Senate and the House and is on its way to the Governor's desk.
While there is no overt action to reduce funding for the Adult Dental Medicaid Program, on-going efforts to cut spending - in order to balance the State budget - require us to keep a watchful eye on the Program.  Adult Dental is the only optional program within the Medicaid Program. We continue to closely monitor the budget process closely and it appears, at this time, that the Adult Medicaid Program will not be cut.

Follow Legislative happenings by using our online grassroots advocacy system. All members can access updated information on  legislation affecting dentistry through the SDDA's web site. Members should go to the Advocacy page on the web site (click here) to access the online system. Once in the system, members can peruse a list of bills the SDDA is following, track the legislation as it works its way through the process and read background information on the legislation. The system will also allow members to view how their Legislators voted on our issues. The system is password protected - members should use SDDA as the user name and their ADA number as the password.