| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3174-U is enacted to read: |
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| §3174-U.__Medicaid reimbursement for dental services |
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| | The department shall conduct an annual review of the adequacy | of reimbursement rates for dental services for dentists who | provide care for a disproportionate number of patients whose care | is reimbursed through the Medicaid program and the Cub Care | program established in section 3174-T.__By January 1, 2000, the | department shall report to the joint standing committee of the | Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services | matters on the results of the study, including the costs in | General Fund and other money.__The department shall review dental | fees annually and adjust them according to the Consumer Price | Index as provided by the United States Department of Labor, | Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
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| | Sec. 2. Mobile vans for dental care. The Department of Human Services | shall study the use of mobile vans for dental care to provide | diagnostic and preventative dental services in remote or | underserved areas of the State. By January 1, 2000, the | department shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health | and Human Services on the results of the study, including the | costs of procuring the vans, suggested plans for staffing and | support services and estimated costs in General Fund and other | money. |
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| | Sec. 3. Dental residency programs. The Department of Education shall | study the feasibility and costs of establishing a dental | residency program in the State. In studying the issue, the | department shall work together with the University of New | England, the hospitals in the State that provide medical | residency programs, the Maine Dental Association and the Maine | Ambulatory Care Coalition. By January 1, 2000, the department | shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human | Services on the results of the study, including the costs of | establishing residency programs and estimated costs in General | Fund and other money. |
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| | This bill requires the Department of Human Services and the | Department of Education to undertake 3 studies and to report to | the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by | January 1, 2000. The studies concern mobile vans for dental | services, residency programs in dentistry and reimbursement rates | for dentistry paid through the Medicaid program. It requires |
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