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Find a dentist that takes Medicaid in Illinois

Alex Chen
Alex Chen
Updated August 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Summary: Many Illinois dental offices say they "take Medicaid" but aren't accepting new Medicaid patients — in fact a federal study found about 35% of providers listed as "accepting new patients" weren't when called. In Illinois, dental runs through DentaQuest, and the only reliable way to know is to call and confirm before you book.

Step by step

  1. Confirm your Illinois Medicaid plan name and member ID — the office will ask for the plan, not just "Medicaid".
  2. Pull a shortlist from the official directory: DentaQuest’s dentist search, or https://enrollhfs.illinois.gov; InsureKidsNow.gov has a national locator for children.
  3. In the directory, filter by "Dental/Dentist" and look for a "currently accepting new patients" indicator.
  4. Call each office and confirm two things: do they accept your specific plan, and are they taking NEW Medicaid patients.
  5. Ask about wait times and book the first office that confirms both.

Medicaid in Illinois: who runs it

Illinois’s program is Illinois Medicaid (HealthChoice Illinois managed care), run by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). The member line is 1-877-912-8880 (Illinois Client Enrollment Services), and the official plan and provider directory is at https://enrollhfs.illinois.gov.

Dental is handled by DentaQuest, which administers dental for HealthChoice Illinois plans and runs the statewide Medicaid dentist directory and member line.

Plans you’ll see in Illinois

The office will ask which plan you have, not just "Medicaid" — the name is on your card. The main managed-care plans in the state:

  • Blue Cross Community Health Plans
  • Meridian (Centene)
  • Molina Healthcare of Illinois
  • CountyCare (Cook County)
  • Aetna Better Health of Illinois

Illinois-specific things to know

  • DentaQuest handles Medicaid dental for essentially all HealthChoice Illinois plans, so its directory is the one to search regardless of which plan you have.
  • Illinois covers adult dental under Medicaid, including restorative care; children get full coverage.
  • CountyCare is Cook County’s own plan (Chicago) and has a large but heavily used dental network — call early in the day.
  • Illinois Client Enrollment Services can tell you which HealthChoice plan you are in and how to switch if your dentist only takes another plan.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Trusting an online "accepts Medicaid" listing without calling to confirm.
  • Not asking specifically whether they take NEW Medicaid patients.
  • Giving up after a few "no"s instead of working down the list.

Let Karen make the calls

Karen calls down the list for you and reports back what it found — you just pick.

If Karen needs a detail she doesn’t have, or someone asks to verify your identity, she’ll add you to the call for a quick warm handoff so you can take over.

Have Karen make the call

20 free minutes to start · then from 5.5¢/minute · no subscription

Frequently asked questions

Why is it so hard to find a dentist that takes Medicaid in Illinois?

Many offices cap how many Medicaid patients they take or pause new intake, so directories go stale — a federal study found roughly 35% of "accepting new patients" listings were wrong when called. Phoning to confirm is the only reliable check.

Where are the official Illinois Medicaid dentist directories?

Start with DentaQuest’s directory and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS)’s site (https://enrollhfs.illinois.gov); InsureKidsNow.gov has a national locator for children.

Who handles Medicaid dental in Illinois?

DentaQuest, for the HealthChoice Illinois plans. Its directory and member line cover the whole state, so start there whichever plan you have.

How do I check my Illinois Medicaid plan?

Call Illinois Client Enrollment Services at 1-877-912-8880 or log in at enrollhfs.illinois.gov.

Can Karen find one for me?

Yes. Karen calls down a list of Illinois dental offices, confirms which take your Medicaid plan and are accepting new patients, and reports back the ones that said yes.

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