GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1258

Short Title:  Medicaid $/Dental Care.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Martin of Guilford; Albertson, Carpenter, Dannelly, Foxx, Lucas, Phillips, Purcell, Rucho, Warren, Weinstein, and Wellons.

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Health Care.

─────────────────────────────────────── 

May 16, 2000

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO INCREASE THE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR DENTAL CARE FOR ELIGIBLE CHILDREN, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO ENHANCE EFFORTS TO EXPAND DENTAL CARE FOR LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS IN THE STATE, AND TO ESTABLISH A TASK FORCE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of four million six hundred thousand dollars ($4,600,000) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year.  These funds shall be used to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate for dental care for eligible children to eighty percent (80%) of the Usual and Customary Rate charged by North Carolina dentists.
Section 2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Research, Demonstrations, and Rural Health Development, the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2000-2001 fiscal year.  These funds shall be allocated to the Recruitment and Incentives Program for loan repayment for dentists who serve Medicaid and low-income patients in nonprofit dental programs.
Section 3.(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a task force to address issues pertaining to availability of dental care in underserved areas of the State.  The Secretary shall appoint members of the task force who shall include the following:
(1)	The Dean of the UNC-CH School of Dentistry, or the Dean's designee.
(2)	The State Public Health Director, or the Director's designee.
(3)	At least one representative from each of the following:
a.	The North Carolina Dental Society.
b.	The North Carolina Medical Society.
c.	The Dental Hygiene Association.
d.	The North Carolina Institute of Medicine.
e.	A consumer organization.
Section 3.(b) The task force shall make recommendations on methods for improving:
(1)	The availability of dentists in areas of the State underserved for dental care.  The recommendation should include methods for eliminating factors that result in dentists' declining to serve Medicaid patients.
(2)	Access to oral health care by North Carolina's children.
(3)	Quality of dental services delivered to Medicaid patients.
Section 3.(c) Not later than February 1, 2001, the task force shall report its findings and recommendations to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Human Resources and the House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
Section 3.(d) The Department of Health and Human Services shall use funds available to the Department for the 2000-2001 fiscal year to carry out the work of the task force.
Section 4. Section 1 of this act becomes effective January 1, 2001. The remainder of this act becomes effective July 1, 2000.