Report Title:

Safety Net Dentists; Special Licensing

 

Description:

Provides for special licensing, without taking the Hawaii examination, for dentists employed by or volunteering for safety net dental providers, provided such dentists have passed the national dental examination and are actively licensed to practice in another state.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

83

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to dental licensing.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii has a considerable number of residents with unmet oral health needs. Our children have some of the worst rates of dental caries and baby bottle tooth decay in the nation. The unmet dental treatment needs of Native Hawaiian, Southeast Asian, Filipino, and Pacific Islander children range between forty per cent and sixty-three per cent.

The legislature further finds that, although Hawaii has a large number of practicing dentists, it has one of the lowest national participation rates in the Medicaid program. This results in serious access barriers to children covered by Medicaid or QUEST.

The legislature further finds that over three hundred thousand Hawaii residents have no dental insurance and little money to pay for dental care. Moreover, low-income adults enrolled in Medicaid or QUEST do not have coverage for basic dental care. Elders covered by Medicare also do not receive dental benefits. Hawaii’s Prepaid Health Care Act does not require employer-sponsored health plans to offer dental benefits.

The legislature further finds that neighbor island communities have the greatest oral health disparities, highest ratios of residents who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid or QUEST, and the lowest ratio of dentists to population.

The legislature further finds that safety net dental providers are critically important to address Hawaii’s unmet oral health needs, but these safety net providers, especially on neighbor islands, have difficulty providing adequate incentives to recruit dentists as employees or volunteers.

The legislature further finds that relaxing Hawaii's dental licensing provisions for dentists working or volunteering for safety net dental providers is a powerful means to assist

safety net dental providers in recruiting dentists while not compromising the quality of dental care available in the State of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. Chapter 448, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§448-   Safety net dental providers. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board of dental examiners shall adopt rules under chapter 91 to establish a procedure to license dentists to practice as employees or volunteers for safety net dental providers; provided the applicant for special licensure has passed the national dental board examination and has an active license to practice in another state. A special licensure under this section shall permit dentists to practice in Hawaii only within the scope of their employment with safety net dental providers or as volunteers for such organizations.

(b) For purposes of this section, "safety net dental providers" means organizations that:

(1) Are private nonprofit corporations, determined to be charitable organizations under title 26 United States Code section 501(c)(3);

(2) Provide care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay for the services rendered, employing a sliding fee scale based on federal poverty guidelines for Hawaii; and

(3) Accommodate individuals with disabilities and those who require language assistance."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

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