Community Health Center
Community Health Connections Fitchburg Health Center
326 Nichols Rd, Fitchburg, MA 01420-1914 1.4 miles away
Community Health Center
130 Water St, Fitchburg, MA 01420
ACTION Community Health Center is a community health center dental clinic in Fitchburg, MA, operated by Community Health Connections, which runs 5 clinics in Massachusetts.
The health center is open about 76 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
| Address | 130 Water St, Fitchburg, MA 01420 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 978-878-8100 |
| Operated by | Community Health Connections |
| Program | Health Center Program (federally funded) |
Fees follow an income-based scale, so the same treatment costs different patients different amounts. Because Community Health Connections sets the thresholds itself, the same household can pay different amounts at two different health centers. 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.
No Medicaid registration has been recorded for this clinic, which is not the same as Medicaid being refused. Massachusetts 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.
The treatments available at this clinic are not listed publicly. Health center dental programs usually cover examinations, cleanings, X-rays, fillings and extractions; root canals, dentures and oral surgery are the ones that vary, and are often referred out.
130 Water St, Fitchburg, MA 01420
The published number is 978-878-8100. 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, whether your insurance or Medicaid dental plan is accepted, by plan name, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.
For a large amount of work, often yes — but a school screens you first, may turn your case down, and takes months rather than weeks. A health center discounts by your income and can usually see you sooner. Our guide to dental school clinics compares the two.
Ask for a copy of your chart and your X-rays, which you are entitled to. Recent images are worth having: a new dentist can often use them instead of taking their own, which saves a charge at the first visit somewhere else.
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.
Health centers are required to provide language assistance and most have interpreting available, in person or by phone. Say which language you need when you book rather than on the day, so an interpreter can be arranged for the appointment.
Federally supported facilities are subject to accessibility requirements, but the practical questions — whether the dental chair can be transferred to, whether the accessible entrance is the one you would arrive at — are worth asking directly rather than assuming from the front door.
Not always. Dental is sometimes on its own fee schedule at the same clinic, and laboratory costs for a crown or denture are often billed on top of the discounted fee. Ask specifically about dental rather than assuming the medical answer applies.
Community Health Connections operates 4 other clinics in 3 other communities in Massachusetts. Where an organization runs several clinics, the waits rarely match. It is worth asking which one has capacity before settling on the closest. The income assessment usually transfers between sites in the same organization, which saves repeating the paperwork. What is treated at one site is no guide to another, so confirm with the clinic you actually intend to visit.
Distances are straight-line, not driving. Waiting times differ sharply between neighbors, so call more than one.
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Community Health Center
326 Nichols Rd, Fitchburg, MA 01420-1914 1.4 miles away
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165 Mill St, Leominster, MA 01453-3592 4.1 miles away
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Community Health Center
175 Connors St, Gardner, MA 01440-2637 10.3 miles away