Report Title:

Dental Services; Adults

Description:

Appropriates funds to provide basic dental services for adults enrolled under medicaid and QUEST on a fee-for-service basis; caps coverage at $500 per adult per year.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1039

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR DENTAL SERVICES.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that access to services that improve oral health is important to the overall health and well-being of individuals. The legislature also finds that dental services for indigent adults, especially those on the neighbor islands, are far too limited to meet the needs of the population.

As of February 1, 1996, basic dental services for adults covered by medicaid and QUEST medical assistance programs were discontinued. At the present time, only emergency dental services are covered for these clients. Medicaid, a federally-funded program, provides 53.85 per cent of funds necessary for basic dental services for adult clients of the medicaid and QUEST medical assistance programs, contingent upon the state providing the remaining 46.15 per cent.

The legislature further finds that the department of health and some community health centers provide dental services for adults, but due to budget cutbacks, services have been discontinued or scaled down. Due to these cutbacks, indigent adults, even if covered by medicaid or QUEST, have no access to basic dental care.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide basic dental services for adults covered by medicaid or QUEST, provided that coverage for basic dental services for each adult enrolled in medicaid or QUEST does not exceed $500 per year. These funds are in addition to existing funding for emergency dental services.

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 2005-2006 and the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 to provide basic dental services for adults covered by medicaid or QUEST on a fee-for-service basis; provided that coverage for basic dental services for each adult enrolled in medicaid or QUEST shall not exceed $500 per year.

The sums 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, 2005.

INTRODUCED BY:

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