BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1783
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 14, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                AB 1783 (Hayashi) - As Introduced:  February 10, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Health Vote:18-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the California Department of Health Care  
          Services (DHCS) to allow dentists who are providers under the  
          Medi-Cal program (Denti-Cal providers) to file a change of  
          location form rather than requiring these providers to complete  
          a full Medi-Cal provider application when moving within a  
          county.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable workload to DHCS to continue oversight of  
          Denti-Cal providers.  According to statewide data, this bill may  
          benefit about 200 Denti-Cal providers each year who move within  
          the county in which they are already authorized to provide  
          services. 

          A total of 1,700 dentists provided Medi-Cal services statewide  
          in 2009. The number of Denti-Cal providers in the current year  
          is likely to decrease substantially due to the elimination of  
          adult dental services in the Medi-Cal program in the budget  
          process in 2009. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill is sponsored by the California Dental  
            Association (CDA) to reduce barriers and delays associated  
            with Denti-Cal provider enrollment and retention. This bill  
            expands a Medi-Cal provider provision established by AB 1226  
            (Hayashi), Chapter 693, Statutes of 2007. 

           2)Background  . According to the author and sponsor, the  
            information required in the Denti-Cal new provider enrollment  








                                                                  AB 1783
                                                                  Page  2

            application is cumbersome for providers needing only a change  
            of address for their dental practice. A full application  
            package also requires more DHCS processing time. Such  
            complications and delays are particularly problematic for  
            Denti-Cal providers struggling to maintain dental practices  
            after the elimination of adult Denti-Cal services.  
           
           


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081