D4346 Medicaid reimbursement rate by state (2026)
Dental services. Medicaid pays a median of $95.80 for D4346 across 30 states, from $34.90 in Iowa to $274.40 in Oklahoma.
- States publishing
- 30
- National median
- $95.80units vary by state
- Lowest
- $34.90Iowa
- Highest
- $274.40Oklahoma
What does Medicaid pay for D4346?
30 state Medicaid programs publish a fee-for-service rate for D4346. The national median is $95.80 (units differ between states). Oklahoma pays the most, $274.40, and Iowa the least, $34.90, a 7.9x spread.
D4346 rate by state: highest, middle and lowest
One like-for-like fee-for-service rate per state, ranked. The workspace lists all 30 states with every variant, modifier and effective date.
How to read this table
- Order. States are listed from the highest published rate to the lowest. No single unit is shared by 8 or more states for D4346, so the order is by published amount and is not a like-for-like rank.
- Medicaid rate. The most the state's fee-for-service program pays for one unit, as published. 17 of the 30 states list more than one rate for D4346, by modifier, provider type or setting; the table shows the one that matches the provider level and setting used across states, without add-ons.
- Unit. Of the 30 states, 1 publish D4346 per unit, and 29 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
- Per hour. D4346 is not billed in time units in these states, so no hourly figure is shown.
- Managed-care plans. The rule the state sets for its plans on this rate. What each rule means is explained below.
- % of Medicare. No Medicare physician fee schedule amount is on file for D4346, so there is no percentage.
- Source and date. Each Source link opens the state's own document; “since” is the date the rate took effect.
Why D4346 rates differ between states
Published rates for D4346 run from $34.90 in Iowa to $274.40 in Oklahoma, a 7.9x gap in the same unit. Half the states pay more than the median of $95.80 and half pay less. The usual reasons for a spread like this in dental rates:
- Federal rules require dental coverage for children through EPSDT, while adult dental benefits are optional and range from emergency-only to comprehensive.
- Many states run dental through a dental benefit administrator, and fee updates are often infrequent compared with medical schedules.
- Some states publish separate child and adult fees for the same procedure, or pay specialists more than general dentists.
Timing matters too. 11 states set the current rate for D4346 in 2026 or later, while 4 states still pay a rate that took effect in 2022 or earlier. A state that has not updated its rate in years will drift down the ranking as others raise theirs.
What managed-care plans pay for D4346
Most Medicaid members are in managed-care plans, and plans don't publish their provider fee schedules. For D4346, the public signal is the rule each state sets for its plans, recorded on each rate above.
In 8 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 6 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. In 6 states, the service is paid outside the plans or through a state-directed payment. The rule for the remaining 10 states is not classified yet.
- Plans must pay at least the published rate (8 states). The published rate is your floor. Negotiate up from it, and if a plan pays less, the contract provision is the basis for a payment dispute.
- Plans negotiate; the published rate applies out of network (6 states). In-network rates can be above or below the published rate. The published rate is the benchmark both sides know, and the fallback if no contract is signed.
- Paid by the state, outside the plans (6 states). Bill the state's Medicaid program, not the plan, at the published rate. There is no plan contract to negotiate for this service.
Plan-negotiated rates are never estimated here. To see the rule and its citation for a particular state, open that state's managed-care page, for example Oklahoma managed care.
Units and billing for D4346
D4346 is a CDT dental code in the dental line, billed mostly by general dentists, pediatric dentists, oral surgeons and dental clinics. CDT codes are maintained by the American Dental Association. Each is paid once per procedure, with the tooth number and surfaces on the claim, and many states publish separate child and adult amounts.
Frequency limits, such as how often an exam or cleaning is covered, decide whether a service is paid at all, regardless of the fee. Dental codes (CDT, maintained by the American Dental Association) are paid once per procedure, with the tooth number and surfaces on the claim.
Before billing, confirm the rate, unit and any modifier with the state's current schedule or the plan: the amounts here are as published, not a guarantee of payment.
Frequently asked questions
What does Medicaid pay for D4346?
It depends on the state. Of the 30 states with a published fee-for-service rate, the median is $95.80. Oklahoma pays the most ($274.40) and Iowa the least ($34.90).
Which state pays the highest Medicaid rate for D4346?
Oklahoma, at $274.40, effective 2024-01-01.
Which state pays the lowest Medicaid rate for D4346?
Iowa, at $34.90, effective 2017-01-01.
What unit is D4346 billed in?
Of the 30 states, 1 publish D4346 per unit, and 29 schedules print no unit at all (a flat amount per service).
Do managed-care plans pay the same rate for D4346?
Not necessarily. In 8 states, the published rate binds plans: a floor, a pass-through or a state-set rate. In 6 states, plans negotiate and the published rate is a benchmark or out-of-network default. In 6 states, the service is paid outside the plans or through a state-directed payment. The rule for the remaining 10 states is not classified yet. Each rule is cited to the plan contract, statute or notice in the workspace.