Amended in Senate June 1, 2016

Amended in Senate April 21, 2016

Amended in Senate April 11, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1098

Introduced by Senator Cannella

February 17, 2016

An act to add Section 14005.273 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Medi-Cal.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1098, as amended, Cannella. Medi-Cal: dental services: advisory group.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law provides coverage for certain dental services, as specified, to Medi-Cal beneficiaries 17 years of age and under through the Denti-Cal program.

This bill would establish the Denti-Cal Advisory Group in the department, as specified, for the purpose of studying begin delete and overseeing end delete the policies and priorities of Denti-Cal with the goal of raising the Denti-Cal utilization rate among children and providing assistance and advice to the department, the Governor, and the Legislature to ensure that proposed decisions relating to the Denti-Cal program are based on the best available evidence. The bill would make related legislative findings and declarations.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(1) Denti-Cal is the Medi-Cal dental health care component
program that was established soon after the 1966 creation of the
Medi-Cal program.

(2) According to an audit conducted by the State Auditor in
2014, only 43.9 percent of children enrolled in the Denti-Cal
program had seen a dentist in the previous year--a utilization rate
that was the 12th worst among states that submitted data to the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Eleven
California counties had no Denti-Cal providers or no providers
willing to accept new child patients covered by Denti-Cal.

(3) Denti-Cal’s 13 million or more beneficiaries need the State
Department of Health Care Services and dental care providers to
improve their relationships.

(4) In any sector, public or private, good relationships are built
on a foundation of good customer service.

(b) Therefore, the Legislature establishes pursuant to this act
an evidence-based advisory group to guide Denti-Cal priorities,
to begin delete oversee end delete begin insert study end insert policy decisions, and to increase annual Denti-Cal
utilization rates among children in the state to 60 percent or greater,
as is the case in approximately 20 percent of states.

SEC. 2.  

Section 14005.273 is added to the Welfare and
Institutions Code, to read:

14005.273.  

(a) There is hereby established in the department
the Denti-Cal Advisory Group. The duties of the advisory group
shall begin delete include, but not be limited to, end delete begin insert include end insert all of the following:

(1) Studying begin delete and overseeing end delete the policies and priorities of
Denti-Cal, the state Medi-Cal dental services program, with the
goal of raising the Denti-Cal utilization rate among eligible child
beneficiaries to 60 percent or greater.

(2) Providing assistance and advice to the department, the
Legislature, and the Governor regarding proposed decisions relating
to the Denti-Cal program to ensure that those decisions are based
on the best available evidence.

(b) The advisory group shall consist of the following members:

(1) The state dental director.

(2) Ten members appointed by the Governor that shall include
the following:

(A) A representative from the California Dental Association.

(B) A representative from the California Dental Hygienists’
Association.

(C) A licensed social worker.

(D) A representative of a health care foundation.

(E) A licensed pediatrician who is qualified to assess impacts
on the overall health of children.

(F) An expert on practices in the dental insurance or health
insurance markets.

(G) Two university professors who are experts in dental practice
or the dental services field.

(H) A representative of a Denti-Cal health plan organization.

(I) A consumer advocate with experience in children’s oral
health.

(3) Two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules
that shall include the following:

(A) A licensed dentist.

(B) A licensed dental hygienist.

(4) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly
that shall include the following:

(A) A licensed dentist.

(B) A licensed dental hygienist.

(c) Before entering upon the discharge of his or her official
duties, each member of the advisory group appointed pursuant to
this section shall take and file an oath pursuant to Sections 1360
and 1363 of the Government Code.

(d) A member of the commission shall serve for a term of three
years. There shall be no limit on the number of terms a member
may serve. The terms of members may be staggered so that the
terms of all members will not expire at the same time.

(e) A member of the advisory group shall not be compensated
for his or her services, except that he or she shall be paid reasonable
per diem and reimbursement of reasonable expenses for attending
meetings and discharging other official responsibilities as
authorized by the department and this section.