Dental Care Expansion Bill Captures Governor's Support, California

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 22 Oct 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Governor Schwarzenegger took recent action to improve access to dental care in California by signing SB 238 into law. The measure, authored by Senator Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley), will improve access to needed care by allowing federally qualified health centers to bill for the services of dental hygienists. The proposed change benefits Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHC's) and Regional Health Centers (RHC's).

Current California law contains a list of providers for which FQHCs and RHCs may bill for services. Dental hygienists are not on this list. While hygienists may provide care under the general supervision of a dentist in a number of settings, including private dental practices, because dental hygienists are not on the recognized list of providers, FQHCs and RHCs are unable to bill Medi-Cal for hygiene services unless a dentist is directly involved in the visit.

This requirement forces dentists to spend more time on paperwork, which reduces the amount of time the dentist can spending on the task of providing much-need restorative care.

"I'd like to thank this Governor for recognizing that we have an acute shortage of qualified dentists in all rural areas of California, and not just the area that I represent in the State Senate," said Senator Aanestad. "The Governor's signature on SB 238 will allow hygienists to focus on the mission of preventive care, which will help alleviate the long-term and more serious dental problems that develop when this type of care is delayed."

Senator Aanestad, a licensed oral surgeon who owned and operated his own practice in Grass Valley for many decades, says SB 238 increases efficiency and access by adding dental hygienists to the list of providers in California's Welfare and Institutions Code that specifies for whom FQHCs and RHCs may bill for visits.

FQHCs and RHCs share a commitment to provide comprehensive, quality health care services, including preventive and restorative oral health care, to low-income, uninsured and underserved Californians, who might otherwise not have access to health care. The geographic areas served by these clinics are marked by significant dental workforce shortages.

California is home to more than 600 FQHCs and RHCs that serve more than 1.6 million patients. In 2003, 65% of these patients had incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level.

"Preventative services such as dental hygiene are critical components of comprehensive dental care and dental hygienists are essential providers of these services," said Senator Aanestad. "Californians need better access to oral health care and my legislation helps accomplish that goal."

http://www.sen.ca.gov

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