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

SPONSOR Heaton

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/28/06

HB 294

SHORT TITLE Improve School-Based Oral Health Care

SB

ANALYST Lewis

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SB 394.

Relates to SB 425 (Rural Portable Dental Clinic Services).

Relates to SB 539 (Oral Health Initiatives Program).

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

Human Services Department (HSD)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 294 appropriates $200,000 from the general fund to the Department of Health for ex-

penditure in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 to support development of up to three pilot sites designed

to increase access to oral health care services in school-based health centers for students not

served or only minimally served currently.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert

to the general fund.

House Bill 294 – Page

2

According to the Human Services Department (HSD), this bill does not limit provision of ser-

vices to students based on income, and it is likely that that some of the students served at the pi-

lot sites will be eligible for the federal Medicaid match.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to the Department of Health (DOH), this bill was proposed by the Governor’s Oral

Health Council, and the executive budget recommendation includes $150,000 for this purpose.

DOH plans to establish 68 school-based health centers (SBHCs) by the end of fiscal year 2006.

SBHCs are an effective way to improve access to health, including dental health, and social sup-

port services to children and their families. Currently, there are no SBHCs that provide dental

services. DOH notes:

that the burden of untreated care falls heaviest on children from low-income families;

that oral health is a part of overall health and impacts a child’s ability to learn; and

that pain from untreated tooth decay is the number one reason for missed school days.

According to the DOH, the Office of Dental Health would lead the development of the pilot sites

in partnership with the Office of School Health.

HSD notes that the creation of pilot sites to provide dental services in school-based health cen-

ters will help ease the shortage of dental care in underserved areas, and that the burden of un-

treated caries falls heaviest on children from low-income families. HSD adds that the addition of

an oral health component in SBHCs will assist in the effort to reduce childhood caries and im-

prove the overall health status of our children.

The Public Education Department (PED) is concerned that it may be difficult to find providers

for oral health care in the SBHCs.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

According to DOH, administrative implications would include contract development and over-

sight and could be managed within current resources.

ML/nt