Requires the board of dental examiners to adopt rules to license dentists to practice as employees of, or volunteers for, safety net dental providers without having to pass the Hawaii dental licensing examination.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii has considerable unmet oral health needs. Our children have some of the worst rates of dental caries and baby bottle tooth decay in the nation. The unmet dental treatment needs of native Hawaiian, southeast Asian, Filipino, and Pacific islander children range between forty and sixty-three per cent.

Although Hawaii has a high ratio of practicing dentist to population, it has one of the lowest participation rates in the Medicaid program. This results in serious access barriers to children covered by Medicaid or QUEST. Over three hundred thousand Hawaii residents have no dental insurance and little money to pay for basic dental care. Moreover, low-income adults enrolled in Medicaid or QUEST do not have coverage for basic dental care. Elderly persons covered by Medicare also do not enjoy dental benefits. Hawaii's Prepaid Health Care Act, chapter 393, Hawaii Revised Statutes, does not require employer-sponsored health plans to offer dental benefits.

The legislature further finds that neighbor island communities have the greatest oral health disparities, highest ratios of residents who are uninsured or covered by Medicaid or QUEST, and the lowest ratio of practcing dentists to population. Safety net dental providers are critically important to address Hawaii's unmet oral health needs but these safety net providers, especially on the neighbor islands, find it very difficult to provide adequate incentives to recruit dentists as employees or volunteers.

Enacting special licensing provisions for dentists working or volunteering for safety net dental providers can be a powerful means of assisting safety net dental providers while maintaining the high quality of dental care available in the State.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding section 448-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to the contrary, the board of dental examiners shall adopt rules to license dentists to practice as employees of, or volunteers for, safety net dental providers. An applicant for special licensure under this Act shall have passed parts I and II of the examination of the National Board of Dental Examiners, and other state or regional board examinations deemed acceptable by the board of dental examiners. The board of dental examiners shall consult with the department of health and the Hawaii Primary Care Association prior to proposing the rules. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

SECTION 3. For the purposes of this Act, "safety net provider" means an organization that:

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2011.