1     
MEDICAID DENTAL WAIVER AMENDMENTS

2     
2017 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Allen M. Christensen

5     
House Sponsor: Steve Eliason

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill amends the Medicaid waiver for the delivery of adult dental services.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     amends the date on which the Medicaid program will start delivering adult dental
13     services under a federal waiver from May 1, 2017, to July 1, 2017; and
14          ▸     amends the reimbursement method for dental services not provided by the University
15     of Utah School of Dentistry.
16     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17          None
18     Other Special Clauses:
19          This bill provides a special effective date.
20     Utah Code Sections Affected:
21     AMENDS:
22          26-18-413, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2016, Chapter 284
23     

24     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25          Section 1. Section 26-18-413 is amended to read:
26          26-18-413. Medicaid waiver for delivery of adult dental services.
27          (1) No later than June 30, 2016, the department shall ask the United States Secretary of

28     Health and Human Services to grant waivers from federal statutory and regulatory law
29     necessary for the Medicaid program to provide dental services in the manner described in
30     Subsection (2).
31          (2) (a) To the extent funded, services shall be provided to only blind or disabled
32     individuals, as defined in 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1382c(a)(1), who are 18 years of age or older and
33     eligible for the program.
34          (b) To the extent possible, services within Salt Lake County shall be provided through
35     the University of Utah School of Dentistry.
36          (c) Each fiscal year, the University of Utah School of Dentistry shall transfer money to
37     the program in an amount equal to the program's non-federal share of the cost of providing
38     services under this section through the school during the fiscal year.
39          (d) During each general session of the Legislature, the department shall report to the
40     Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee whether the University of Utah School of
41     Dentistry will have sufficient funds to make the transfer required by Subsection (2)(c) for the
42     current fiscal year.
43          (e) Where possible, services not provided by the University of Utah School of Dentistry
44     shall be provided [through managed care or other risk sharing arrangements.]:
45          (i) through fee for service reimbursement until July 1, 2018; and
46          (ii) after July 1, 2018, through the method of reimbursement used by the division for
47     Medicaid dental benefits.
48          (f) Subject to appropriations by the Legislature, and as determined by the department,
49     the scope, amount, duration, and frequency of services may be limited.
50          (3) The reporting requirements of Section 26-18-3 apply to the waivers requested under
51     Subsection (1).
52          (4) If the waivers requested under Subsection (1) are granted, the Medicaid program
53     shall begin providing dental services in the manner described in Subsection (2) no later than
54     [May] July 1, 2017.
55          (5) If the federal share of the cost of providing dental services under this section will be
56     less than 65% during any portion of the next fiscal year, the Medicaid program shall cease
57     providing dental services under this section indefinitely no later than the end of the current fiscal
58     year.

59          Section 2. Effective date.
60          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
61     upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
62     Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
63     the date of veto override.






Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel