Amended in Assembly June 30, 2016

Amended in Senate June 1, 2016

Amended in Senate April 21, 2016

Amended in Senate April 11, 2016

Senate BillNo. 1098


Introduced by Senator Cannella

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Mayes and Wood)

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February 17, 2016


An act to addbegin insert and repealend insert Sectionbegin delete 14005.273end deletebegin insert 14005.276end insert 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 billbegin delete wouldend deletebegin insert would, until January 1, 2022,end insert establish the Denti-Cal Advisory Group in the department, as specified, for the purpose of studying the policies and priorities of Denti-Cal with the goal of raising the Denti-Cal utilization rate amongbegin delete children andend deletebegin insert children,end insert 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 availablebegin delete evidence.end deletebegin insert evidence, and studying and evaluating how Denti-Cal program policies align with and support the implementation of the state oral health plan. The bill would prohibit the advisory group from taking a position on legislation.end insert 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:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(1) Denti-Cal is the Medi-Cal dental health care component
4program that was established soon after the 1966 creation of the
5Medi-Cal program.

6(2) According to an audit conducted by the State Auditor in
72014, only 43.9 percent of children enrolled in the Denti-Cal
8program had seen a dentist in the previous year--a utilization rate
9that was the 12th worst among states that submitted data to the
10federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Eleven
11California counties had no Denti-Cal providers or no providers
12willing to accept new child patients covered by Denti-Cal.

13(3) Denti-Cal’s 13 million or more beneficiaries need the State
14Department of Health Care Services and dental care providers to
15improve their relationships.

16(4) In any sector, public or private, good relationships are built
17on a foundation of good customer service.

18(b) Therefore, the Legislature establishes pursuant to this act
19an evidence-based advisory group to guide Denti-Cal priorities,
20to study policy decisions, and to increase annual Denti-Cal
21utilization rates among children in the state to 60 percent or greater,
22as is the case in approximately 20 percent of states.

23

SEC. 2.  

Section begin delete14005.273end deletebegin insert14005.276end insert is added to the Welfare
24and Institutions Code
, to read:

25

begin delete14005.273.end delete
26
begin insert14005.276.end insert  

(a) There is hereby established in the department
27the Denti-Cal Advisory Group. The duties of the advisory group
28shall include all of the following:

29(1) Studying the policies and priorities of Denti-Cal, the state
30Medi-Cal dental services program, with the goal of raising the
P3    1Denti-Cal utilization rate among eligible child beneficiaries to 60
2percent or greater.

3(2) Providing assistance and advice to the department, the
4Legislature, and the Governor regarding proposed decisions relating
5to the Denti-Cal program to ensure that those decisions are based
6on the best available evidence.

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7
(3) Studying and evaluating how Denti-Cal program policies
8align with and support the implementation of the state oral health
9plan.

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

11(1) The state dental director.

12(2) begin deleteTen end deletebegin insertSeven end insertmembers appointed by the Governor that shall
13include the following:

14(A) A representative from the California Dental Association.

15(B) A representative from the California Dental Hygienists’
16Association.

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17(C) A licensed social worker.

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9 18(D)

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19begin insert(C)end insert A representative of abegin insert philanthropicend insert health care foundation.

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10 20(E)

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21begin insert(D)end insert Abegin delete licensed pediatrician who is qualified to assess impacts
22on the overall health of children.end delete
begin insert representative of the California
23Society of Pediatric Dentistry.end insert

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24(F) An expert on practices in the dental insurance or health
25insurance markets.

end delete
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14 26(G)

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27begin insert(E)end insert Two university professorsbegin insert or educatorsend insert who are experts in
28dental practice or the dental services field.

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16 29(H)

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30begin insert(F)end insert A representative of a Denti-Cal health plan organization.

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31(I) A consumer advocate with experience in children’s oral
32health.

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33(3) begin deleteTwo members end deletebegin insertA maternal and child health advocate, end insert
34appointed by the Senate Committee onbegin delete Rules that shall include the
35following:end delete
begin insert Rules, with experience in the link between a mother’s
36access to oral health care during pregnancy and postpartum and
37the child’s improved access to oral health care.end insert

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38(A) A licensed dentist.

end delete
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39(B) A licensed dental hygienist.

end delete

P4    1(4) begin deleteTwo members end deletebegin insertA consumer advocate, end insertappointed by the
2Speaker of thebegin delete Assembly that shall include the following:end deletebegin insert Assembly,
3with experience in adult dental health.end insert

begin delete

4(A) A licensed dentist.

end delete
begin delete

5(B) A licensed dental hygienist.

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6(c) Before entering upon the discharge of his or her official
7duties, each member of the advisory group appointed pursuant to
8this section shall take and file an oath pursuant to Sections 1360
9and 1363 of the Government Code.

10(d) A member of thebegin delete commissionend deletebegin insert advisory groupend insert shall serve
11for a term of three years. There shall be no limit on the number of
12terms a member may serve. The terms of members may be
13staggered so that the terms of all members will not expire at the
14same time.

15(e) A member of the advisory group shall not be compensated
16for his or her services, except that he or she shall be paid reasonable
17per diem and reimbursement of reasonable expenses for attending
18meetings and discharging other official responsibilities as
19authorized by the department and this section.

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20
(f) The advisory group shall not take a position on legislation.

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21
(g) The advisory group may report any of its findings to the
22Legislature.

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23
(h) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2022,
24and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
25is enacted before January 1, 2022, deletes or extends that date.

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