Resolve, To Study Expenditures for Oral Health Care in the MaineCare Program

Sec. 1. Study. Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services shall convene a working group to perform a study of oral health care in the MaineCare program. The study must be chaired by the director of the division of health care management in the Office of MaineCare Services and must include representatives of the MaineCare Dental Advisory Committee, the Maine Dental Access Coalition, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and MaineCare members. The working group shall review MaineCare dental coverage, reimbursement and utilization and shall identify ways to reduce or redirect expenditures with the goal of providing more cost-effective, high-quality care for MaineCare members. The working group shall review alternative payment methodologies, the use of emergency rooms and urgent care settings for the treatment of dental disease, the use of preventive and specialty services, such as orthodontics and endodontics, and inpatient hospitalization. The working group shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters during the First Regular Session of the 125th Legislature. After reviewing the report, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters may report out a bill related to the subject of the report to the First Regular Session of the 125th Legislature.