132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1361		LR 1713(02)
	An Act to Require Insurance Coverage for Covered Dental Services Provided by Licensed Dental Hygienists and to Authorize Licensed Dental Hygienists to Bill Commercial Dental Insurance
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium cost increase - All Funds Potential current biennium savings - All Funds
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill requires health insurance carriers to reimburse licensed dental hygienists for covered services that are within their scope of practice if those same services would be reimbursed if provided by a dentist. This requirement would increase the volume of claims pertaining to dental visits with licensed dental hygienists, however, it cannot be determined if these new claims would be filed by enrollees who historically had not utilized licensed dentists, therefore increasing costs, or if these new claims would be filed by enrollees who historically had utilized licensed dentists, therefore decreasing costs if the equivalent licensed dental hygienist were less expensive. A more precise fiscal estimate cannot be determined at this time.