Some state lawmakers want to increase the number of health care providers allowed to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in Wisconsin.
An Assembly committee on Tuesday held a public hearing on a bill that would authorize dentists to inoculate people.
Republican state Rep. Robert Brooks is the author of the measure. He said if the bill passes, Wisconsin would be considered a leader in the COVID-19 vaccination response.
“This would add an additional 3,500 additional vaccinators in the state. Dentists are highly qualified health care professionals that already administer local and general anesthesia on a daily basis. It’s important to note that Minnesota and Illinois already permit dentists to administer flu vaccines,” Brooks said.
Some Democrats have also signed on to the measure.
But Tim Lundquist of the Wisconsin Association of Health Plans opposes the idea. He said dentists aren’t set up to provide medical services and the bill could create logistical and payment issues.
“Assembly Bill 124 could lead to significant technical challenges in setting up new payment methods for providers who are nearly all out-of-network and unaccustomed to billing of medical services,” Lundquist said.
The Assembly Committee on Health is expected to vote on the issue at a later date.
