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Sponsor seeks to add part‑time dentists and hygienists to Maryland DentCare to boost safety-net staffing
Summary
House Bill 265 would allow part‑time dentists and dental hygienists to qualify for Maryland's loan‑repayment grants for providers who serve Medicaid or underserved populations, and would direct a study of dental insurers' credentialing platforms, supporters told a legislative committee.
Delegate Heather Bagnell told the Health and Government Operations Committee that House Bill 265 would expand Maryland's Dental Care loan-repayment program to allow part‑time dentists and dental hygienists to qualify for loan-repayment assistance and would ask the Maryland Insurance Administration to study whether insurers are using online credentialing platforms.
Supporters — including CEOs of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and dental‑access coalitions — said the change would help recruiting for safety‑net providers that frequently rely on part‑time clinicians for flexibility (childcare, physical demands of procedures, or to extend careers). Witnesses argued part‑time eligibility is a standard feature of many clinician loan‑repayment programs and would expand the pool…
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