WSDA - Legislative Session Update

Legislative Session Update

Dental Therapist Legislation (HB2226, SB6126, and HB1310):

Please vote NO on SB 6126

SB 6126 fractures the dental home – increasing the cost of care

SB 6216 creates unnecessary patient risk

SB 6126 is not cost effective in Washington's no-subsidy budget environment

WSDA Opposes HB 2226, SB 6126 and HB 1310.

SB 6126 Passes out of Senate Health Committee

NEW: WSDA testifies against HB 2226 and SB 6126.

NEW: Setting the record striaght on HB 2226 and SB 6126.

New studies raise patient safety and economic feasibility concerns about HB 2226 and SB 6126.

The Washington State Dental Association is committed to cost-effective, practical solutions to expand access to prevent disease and provide dental care.

These bills do not meet those basic principles. It doesn’t make economic or practical sense and unnecessarily risks patient safety.

Why the Proposed WA State Dental Therapist Doesn't Make Economic Sense from WA State Dental Association on Vimeo.

HB 2226 and SB 6126 are revised versions of HB 1310. Both bills would create two types of dental practitioner/therapist. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the HB 1310 and the new bills:

The names “dental therapist” and “advanced dental therapist” have been changed to “dental practitioner” and “dental hygiene practitioner”
Disciplinary authority of both midlevels is moved from the Secretary of Health to DQAC (accreditation of training programs remains with DOH)
Dental hygiene practitioners can no longer practice without "off-site supervision"
“Written collaborative agreement” is changed to “written practice plan contract”
"Collaborating dentist” is been changed to “contracting dentist”

Dentists ask that you oppose HB 2226 and SB 6126.

Inadequate Education - Proposes two-tiers of practitioner; a dental practitiioner, who has a high school diploma and unspecified education; a dental hygiene practitioner, who is a dental hygienist and completes an unspecified post-baccalaureate training program.
Inadequate Supervision - Allows therapists to diagnose and perform surgical procedures outside the dental office with very minimal supervision and with inadequate education.
Major Liability Issues - Proposes a collaborative practice agreement between a practitioner and a dentist that is not meaningful and will result in major malpractice and liability conflicts.
Requires State Subsidy - Is based on dental therapist models in other countries that are funded by government, such as in-school health services or nationalized health care systems.

2011 HB 1310 Testimony Before the House Health Care Committee

2012 Legislative Session

The Legislature convened its 60-day short session on Monday, January 9, 2012. Check out the 2012 bill tracker for the latest on the bills WSDA is following. Check out the WSDA Blog for the latest analysis on the 2012 Legislative session.

WSDA remain's opposed dental practitioner (DHAT) legislation. HB 2226 died in committee last week but SB 6126 was voted out of committee.

WSDA is also following HB 2319 and SB 6178 which state enacting legislation for the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Legislation creating dental anesthesia assistants was also re-introduced this session (SB 5620).

WSDA is supporting SB 6131 and HB 2507. These bills are identical and are a technical fix which will keep dental amalgam out of the bulk mercury ban which begins in June 2012.

Medicaid and Supplemental Budget:

This fall, Governor Christine Gregoire called the Legislature into a special session to address a projected $2 billion dollar shortfall in the current biennium (2 year) budget for the general fund. In response, the Legislature compiled a supplemental budget package with nearly $480 million in budget cuts as a "down payment" on entirely closing the budget shortfall during the 2012 regular session. The special session budget package did not include further cuts to dental Medicaid funding, the UW School of Dentistry, or any other dental related programs. While the $480 million in cuts reduces the budget shortfall, more work will need to be done during the 2012 regular session. Here's a list of dental programs that will be discussed:

Eliminating non-emergent dental care for the remaining patient populations in the adult dental Medicaid program. The patient populations include adults with develolpmental disabilities, pregnant women, and long-term care patients (Aprpoximately $8 million)
Eliminating the enchanged fee the UW School of Dentistry DECOD (Dental Education for Care of Persons with Disabilities) program. DECOD recieves this enchanced fee because the program trains dental students on how to provide treatment for the DD population. The DECOD program cannot continue to operate wihout this enhanced funding. (Approximately $700,000)
Eliminating the Volunteer/Retired Provider Malpractice Insurance (VRP) program. The VRP program pays the malpractice insurance and licensure costs for retired health care practitioners who only provide uncompensated care at free clinics, community health centers, and other charitable clinics. Approximately 100 dentists and dental hygienists participate in the program along with another 600 healthcare practitioners. (Approximately $220,000)
Reductions in the reimbursement rates for some or all of the dental procedrues in dental Medicaid may be considred. These reductions would likely be made at the agency level to close an agency budget shortfall.