THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

38

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS TO adopt measures that discourage dentists from refusing patients covered by governmentally sponsored medical insurance programs.

 

WHEREAS, access to services that improve oral health is important to the overall health and well-being of individuals; and

WHEREAS, dental services for the indigent, especially individuals on the Neighbor Islands, are far too limited to meet the needs of the population; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Health and some community health centers provide limited dental services for adults, but due to budget cutbacks, services have been discontinued or drastically reduced; and

WHEREAS, the refusal by many licensed dentists to provide dental services to patients who are covered under government-sponsored medical insurance programs, such as Medicaid and QUEST, defeats the purpose of those programs; and

WHEREAS, to continually deprive patients of much needed dental services may be construed by some as being improper, unprofessional, or dishonorable conduct in the practice of dentistry; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Dental Examiners (BDE) is charged with the licensing and sanctioning of dental health professionals; and

WHEREAS, BDE has statutory and quasi-judicial powers and has the power to refuse, revoke, and suspend licenses and the authority to impose administrative penalties; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that BDE is requested to adopt appropriate measures to discourage dentists from refusing patients who are covered under government-sponsored medical insurance programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Chair of the Board of Dental Examiners, President of the Hawaii Dental Association, and Dean of the University of Hawaii School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

QUEST and Medicaid Dental Services