STAND. COM. REP. NO. 745

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 157
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:
     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 157, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO PROVIDE
     PREVENTIVE DENTAL SERVICES TO ADULTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to make an appropriation for
preventive dental services for adults covered by Medicaid and
MedQUEST.

     Until February 1996, preventive dental services for adults
under Medicaid and MedQUEST were covered by the State.  Due to
budget cutbacks, those services were dropped, and only emergency
dental care was provided under these programs.  Your Committee
finds that the federal government will pay half the cost of
providing preventive dental services for adults under Medicaid if
the State pays the remainder.  This is a win-win solution for the
State.

     Your Committee finds that preventive dental care will assist
in the long-term dental health of residents in the Medicaid and
MedQUEST programs, and that it is an appropriate use of state
funds to pay the State's share as provided in this bill. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 745
                                   Page 2


Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
157, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
a                                                       SB157 SD1