Report Title:

Fee-for-Service Dental

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for a fee-for-service Medicaid dental program.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

230

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

making an appropriation for quest dental services.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the poor in Hawaii are not getting adequate dental care. QUEST is the State’s managed care program for the poor, however, many dental patients have difficulty finding dentists who accept QUEST reimbursements. This appears to be due to the fact that QUEST reimburses providers at a much lower level than the traditional fee-for-service program, thus, dentists cannot afford to take QUEST patients and cover their overhead expenses. The situation is complicated by the relatively few dentists in the rural areas of the neighbor islands. Of particular concern are children whose teeth need attention before their dental condition becomes more serious later in life.

The legislature further finds that the traditional fee-for-service Medicaid program for dental services is preferable in some cases to the recently implemented managed care program under QUEST.

The purpose of this Act is to make an appropriation for the implementation of a fee-for-service Medicaid dental program to supplement the QUEST managed care dental program.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii, the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002, to implement a fee-for-service Medicaid dental program to supplement the QUEST managed care dental program, as deemed appropriate by the department of human services.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

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