130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2021
Legislative Document No. 1501
H.P. 1111 House of Representatives, April 15, 2021
An Act To Protect Oral Health for Children in Maine
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 13, 2021. Referred to the Committee on
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach.
Printed on recycled paper
 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2 Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3174-S, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
3 2-A. School-based oral health services. By January 1, 2025, the department shall
4 provide preventive oral health services through the Maine Center for Disease Control and
5 Prevention to all schools in the State.
6 Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §3174-S, sub-§3, as reallocated by RR 1997, c. 2, §45, is
7 amended to read:
8 3. Goal. It is the goal of the Legislature that children enrolled in the Medicaid program
9 in all regions of the State have the same access to dental care as children enrolled in private
10 dental insurance programs receive at least one preventive dental visit annually.
11 Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §3174-S, sub-§4, as reallocated by RR 1997, c. 2, §45, is
12 amended to read:
13 4. Annual report. By February 15, 1999 and annually thereafter, the department shall
14 submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health
15 and human services matters an annual report containing information related to the progress
16 of the department in meeting the goal stated in subsection 3 and an action plan to increase
17 access to dental care. The report must include an analysis of the progress being made in
18 increasing access, the problems incurred within the prior year and corrective action to be
19 taken. The action plan must consider the following strategies to increase access: nonprofit
20 clinics; purchase of practice clinics; enhanced reimbursement for dentists serving a large
21 number of children under the Medicaid program; and contracts with dental clinics and
22 health centers to provide dental care. Beginning after February 15, 2021, the report must
23 be submitted by December 31st annually and must also include the status of oral health
24 services provided in schools pursuant to subsection 2-A, and methods for maximizing
25 Medicaid funding as permitted by federal law for oral health staff positions within the
26 department and school-based oral health services.
27 Sec. 4. Expansion of oral health services. The Department of Health and Human
28 Services shall expand preventive oral health services currently provided in schools through
29 the school oral health program of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to
30 all schools in the State to comply with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3174-S,
31 subsection 2-A by expanding on a rolling basis until all schools are providing services by
32 January 1, 2025.
33 Sec. 5. Value-based payment pilot project. No later than July 1, 2022, the
34 Department of Health and Human Services shall begin a pilot project for an oral health
35 value-based payment model within MaineCare that includes prevention, early intervention,
36 disease management and care coordination services for oral health services delivered in
37 schools and early child care settings in the payment model. The pilot project must last no
38 less than 24 months. The department shall report the results of the pilot project to the joint
39 standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services
40 matters no later than January 1, 2025.
41 Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
42 allocations are made.
43 HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
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 1 Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 0143
2 Initiative: Provides funding for one Health Program Manager to be the Oral Health
3 Coordinator within the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, rural health and
4 primary care division, to lead the center's public health functions related to oral health.
5 GENERAL FUND 2021-22 2022-23
6 POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 1.000 1.000
7 Personal Services $91,975 $95,470
8 All Other $6,398 $6,398
9 __________ __________
10 GENERAL FUND TOTAL $98,373 $101,868
115 SUMMARY
126 This bill changes the legislative goal from ensuring that children on Medicaid receive
137 the same level of services as children with dental insurance to ensuring that all children in
148 the State with Medicaid receive at least one annual preventive dental visit. It also requires
159 the Department of Health and Human Services to provide preventive oral health services
16
10 through the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention in all schools in the State.
17
11 The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to include in its annual
18
12 report on dental services to children under MaineCare, a report on the expansion of oral
19
13 health services provided in schools and methods for maximization of Medicaid funding as
20
14 permitted by federal law for oral health staff positions and school-based oral health
21
15 services. The date of the annual report is changed from February 15 to December 1 of each
22
16 year.
17 The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to expand the
18 preventive oral health services provided in schools through the school oral health program
19 of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to all schools in the State on a
20 rolling basis to be compliant with the law by January 1, 2025.
21 The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to begin a pilot
22 project for an oral health value-based payment model within MaineCare that includes
23 prevention, early intervention, disease management and care coordination services for oral
24 health services delivered in schools and early child care settings. The pilot project must be
25 in place by July 1, 2022 and last no less than 24 months. The department is required to
26 submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over
27 health and human services matters on the results of the pilot project.
28 The bill provides funding for an Oral Health Coordinator in the Department of Health
29 and Human Services to lead the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention's public
30 health functions related to oral health.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1501, HP 1111: 22.3174