Community Health Center

SOUTHWEST LA PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

8762 Highway 182, Opelousas, LA 70570-5603

SOUTHWEST LA PRIMARY HEALTH CARE is a community health center dental clinic in Opelousas, LA, operated by Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center.

The health center is open about 45 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.

Clinic Details

Address8762 Highway 182, Opelousas, LA 70570
Phone337-942-2005
Operated bySouthwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center
ProgramHealth Center Program (federally funded)
Site scheduleFull-Time
Operating calendarYear-Round

Costs and Coverage

Fees follow an income-based scale, so the same treatment costs different patients different amounts. Where the thresholds fall is decided by Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center, so what a friend paid elsewhere is not a guide. Get the assessment done first; it changes what the whole plan costs, not just the first visit. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to bring.

This clinic has a Medicaid billing registration on file, which is a good sign but not a guarantee for your particular plan. Louisiana decides its own adult dental benefit, which ranges from comprehensive to emergency extractions only depending on the state and the year. Children are covered everywhere. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.

Dental Services

Service and coverage information recorded for this clinic includes:

  • Medicaid

Treatments offered and insurance accepted change over time, and services not listed here may still be available. Contact the clinic to confirm what is currently offered.

Planning Your Visit

8762 Highway 182, Opelousas, LA 70570

The published number is 337-942-2005. At larger organizations it may reach central scheduling rather than the dental department, so say which clinic you are calling about and that it is for dental care.

Before making the trip, check: the dental hours, and which days appointments run, whether new dental patients are being taken, and the current wait, what a first visit costs, before and after any discount, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.

Common Questions

Can I pay in installments?

Many health centers will arrange this, particularly for dentures or a course of treatment, but it is rarely advertised and you generally have to ask. Agree the amount and the schedule before treatment starts, and ask what happens if you miss one, because that varies more than the plans themselves do.

What if I need a specialist they do not have?

You would normally be referred out, and a referral from a health center does not carry the discount with it — the outside specialist charges their own fee. Ask what the referral would cost before starting anything that depends on it, because that is the point where an affordable plan often stops being affordable.

How do they work out what I pay?

From your household income and family size, checked against a scale the clinic sets itself. That is why a quote from another clinic tells you nothing about this one. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to take.

I have private dental insurance. Is it worth using here?

Often yes, and the two combine: the clinic bills your plan and the discount applies to what is left. Ask whether they are in network for your plan, because out-of-network billing can leave you paying more than the discounted cash price.

Do they do root canals, or would I be referred out?

This is the question worth asking before anything else if you already know you need one. Health centers commonly do extractions in-house and refer root canals to a private endodontist at full price, which changes the arithmetic completely. Ask before you start treatment, not after.

What if I cannot get there?

Ask whether the clinic has transport assistance or can tell you what local programs exist — many health centers help with this and it is rarely advertised. Your county health department is the other place that knows.

Other Clinics Operated by Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center

Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center has no other locations, so there is nowhere else within the same organization to ask. Work down the nearby clinics below if this one is full.

Other Dental Clinics Nearby

Distances are as the crow flies. Wait times are set clinic by clinic, so ask each one rather than assuming.

Confirmed Payment Options

Income-Based FeesMedicaid

Call SOUTHWEST LA PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.

337-942-2005

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