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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Griego		DATE TYPED:	03/11/03		HB
SHORT TITLE:		Dental Health Medicaid Coverage				SB	818/aSPAC
					ANALYST:		Weber

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained		Estimated Additional Impact		Recurring or Non-Rec	Fund Affected
FY03	FY04	FY03	FY04
			See Narrative

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB 896

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received From

Human Services Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SPAC Amendment

The Senate Public Affairs Committee adds an additional section to Senate Bill 818.

1. On page 6, between lines 8 and 9, insert the following new section to read;

"Section 4. A new section of the Nonprofit Health Care Plan Law, Section 59A-47-28.4 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

"59A-47-28.4. [NEW MATERIAL] COVERAGE FOR COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE DENTAL HYGIENISTS.--An individual or group subscriber contract delivered or issued for delivery in New Mexico that, on a prepaid, service or indemnity basis provides for treatment of persons for the prevention, cure or correction of any illness or physical or mental condition shall include coverage for the services of a dental hygienist in a collaborative practice pursuant to the Dental Health Care Act."".

This adds a section for collaborative practice dental hygienists along with previous sections for chiropractors, another for midwives and a third for doctors of oriental medicine.

Synopsis of Original Bill

Section 1 of Senate Bill 818 (SB 818) would change the reference in Section 27-2-12 from “chiropractors” to “chiropractic physicians” and add licensed dental hygienists in collaborative practice to the set of service providers that Medicaid may cover.

Sections 2 and 3 of SB 818 amends the Insurance Code to reference Articles in Chapter 61 according to their short titles rather than by their numbers, except for certified nurse practitioners and osteopathic medicine and surgery for which numbers are retained.

Significant Issues

Currently, Medicaid does not cover the services of doctors of oriental medicine or chiropractors, but does cover services provided by dental hygienists in collaborative practice.

In the opinion of the Human Services legal department, even though Section 3 provides that a Health Maintenance Organization may not exclude the listed licensed individual providers willing to meet their conditions, the provision would not necessarily apply to the SALUD! providers within the Medicaid managed care program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

SB 818 as drafted does not mandate the provision of medical assistance by chiropractic physicians because the word "may" is permissive, not mandatory.

If Medicaid were mandated to cover services provider by chiropractors, the program would incur an estimated $6,400.0 in total additional costs. Of that amount, approximately $1,600.0 would be from the state general fund.

MW/yr:sb:njw