Appropriates funds to provide basic dental services for adults covered by medicaid and med-QUEST on a fee-for-service basis through the med-QUEST program.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that access to services that improve oral health is important to the overall health and well-being of individuals. The legislature also finds that dental services for indigent adults, especially those on the neighbor islands, are far too limited to meet the needs of the population.

As of February 1, 1996, basic dental services for adults covered by the medicaid and QUEST medical assistance programs were discontinued. At the present time, only emergency dental services are covered for these clients. Medicaid, a federally-funded program, will provide fifty-three and eighty-five one hundredths per cent (53.85%) of funds necessary for basic dental services for adult clients of the medicaid and QUEST medical assistance programs. The State must provide the remaining forty-six and fifteen one hundredths per cent (46.15%) for those who are qualified.

The legislature further finds that the department of health and some community health centers provide dental services for adults, but due to budget cutbacks, services have been discontinued or scaled down. The result of these cutbacks is that indigent adults, even if covered by medicaid or QUEST, have no access to basic dental care.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide basic dental services for covered adults, with a $500 per enrollee per year cap, exclusive of emergency dental services.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2001-2002 and the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2002-2003 to provide basic dental services for adults covered by medicaid and med-QUEST on a fee-for-service basis through the med-QUEST program.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.