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Committee expands dental Medicaid study to include scope-of-practice and mid-level providers
Summary
Senate Human Services amended House Bill 1567 to add 'plans' to a data request and to expand the Medicaid dental study to include scope-of-practice, dental therapists, hygienists, and other provider types; the amended bill passed the committee.
The Senate Human Services Committee amended House Bill 1567 to add a requested word in the data language and broaden the study’s scope to include unmet dental needs, scope-of-practice considerations and additional provider types such as dental therapists and mid-level providers. The amended bill passed the committee by roll call.
Committee members discussed workforce shortages, reimbursement, and the potential role dental therapists and hygienists could play in expanding access. One lawmaker described Minnesota’s experience, noting dental therapists there have performed a defined set of procedures for more than a decade and can increase access to care in underserved areas.
Specifically, the committee approved an amendment to insert the word “plans” after “current” in a data provision (page and line referenced in committee) and added a new, freestanding study element authorizing the review of scope of practice and additional provider types. Senator Hogan offered the amendment and Senator Rohrs seconded; the motion to pass the bill as amended was moved by Senator Weston and seconded by Senator Hogan. The roll call recorded unanimous support in committee.
Committee members considered but did not add back a separate appropriation request (roughly $97,000) to reimburse out-of-state dental students doing rotations; some members expressed concern that the reimbursement topic was separate from the study’s core purpose.
