BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 502 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Jimmy Gomez, Chair AB 502 (Chau) - As Amended April 30, 2015 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Business and Professions |Vote:|10 - 4 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | |Health | |11 - 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable: No SUMMARY: This bill makes several adjustments to statutes governing dental hygienists. Specifically, this bill: AB 502 Page 2 1)Allows an alternative dental hygiene practice established within a certified dental health professional shortage area (DHPSA) to continue to operate upon removal of the DHPSA certification. 2)Prohibits health care service plans and health insurance policies that cover dental services issued, amended, or renewed after January 1, 2016, from denying reimbursement to a contracted provider, or to an enrollee if out-of-network services are covered, when the service is performed by a registered dental hygienist in alternative practice (RDHAP). Requires the same fee schedule be used for dental hygiene services, whether services are performed by a registered dental hygienist (RDH) or an RDHAP. 3)Clarifies RDHAPs are authorized to establish professional corporations. FISCAL EFFECT: Any costs to the California Department of Insurance and the Department of Managed Health Care to assess compliance with this bill's requirements are expected to be minor and absorbable. COMMENTS: 1)Purpose. The author states this bill will remove barriers in existing law for RDHAPs to practice and increase public access to quality dental hygiene services. These barriers include: (1) Currently, RDHAPs cannot practice in an DHPSAs once they lose certification; (2) RDHAPs are not currently provided with proper financial incentives to provide services, as health AB 502 Page 3 plans and insurers are denying reimbursement for RDHAP services; and (3) there are no current business protections for RDHAPs in statute, though existing law authorizes them to incorporate. 2)Background. RDHAPs are RDHs in the state of California with bachelor's degrees (or equivalent certifications), who have completed a continuing education course in independent practice dental hygiene and passed a licensing examination administered by the Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC). Once licensed, DHCC requires RDHAPs to designate a "dentist of record" for referrals, consultations, or emergencies, after which RDHAPs are able to provide dental hygiene services without the supervision of a dentist to underserved populations in "alternative practice" settings, which are schools, residential and other institutions, residences of the homebound, and dental health professional shortage areas. According to DHCC, there are currently 563 RDHAPs licensed to practice in specified alternative settings. 3)Opposition. The California Dental Association is opposed to this bill, citing concerns about oversight of RDHAPs who continue to practice after DHPSA certification is revoked, and lack of evidence or data to support this proposal. Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 AB 502 Page 4