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

SPONSOR Chavez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/19/07

HB 1001

SHORT TITLE Dental Care To Indigent Persons

SB

ANALYST Geisler

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$200.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to: HB 102, HB 242, HB 881, SB 35, SB 173, SB 582, SB 805

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 1001 would appropriate $200,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Health

(DOH) in FY08 to contract with a nonprofit organization to provide dental care for indigent

persons in various communities in New Mexico. Any unexpended balance remaining at the end

of the FY08 shall revert to the General Fund.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

DOH notes that the increase of funding for contract dental services for the indigent in HB 1001

is not part of the DOH executive budget request. The DOH FY08 budget request includes a base

general fund amount of more than $1 million for contractual services associated with dental care.

The Legislative Finance Committee budget recommendation includes $250,000 in expansion

funding for children’s oral health.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH notes that while oral disease may be the most preventable health condition affecting the

U.S. population, the oral health of minorities and the underserved remains poor. Sufficient tools

House Bill 1001 – Page

2

and technology exist to prevent and control oral disease, but the outcomes have not reflected

these advances. The 2000 New Mexico Children’s Oral Health Survey reported that 65% of

New Mexico children have experienced tooth decay and 37% have untreated tooth decay. The

New Mexico Oral Health Surveillance System Report reported that 30% of children in grades 9 –

12 smoked cigarettes, 27% of 3rd grade children did not obtain needed dental care within a given

year, and 10% of 3rd grade children have never been to a dentist. The Report has also identified

that 43% adults have lost six or more teeth due to tooth decay and gum disease and that 66%

adults had their teeth cleaned within the past year, an increase since 1999.

New Mexico has a serious shortage of dental providers throughout areas of the state. Most of the

counties, either in specific populations or the entire county, have been designated as dental health

professional shortage areas. The intent of HB1001 is to expand existing dental health services to

indigent persons who have little access to dental professionals and who are at high risk for dental

disease.

RELATIONSHIP

HB 1001 relates to HB 102, HB 242, HB 881, SB 35, SB 173, SB 582 and SB 805 as they are

concerned with New Mexico oral health issues including dental practice, oral health education,

and access to dental services.

GG/mt