An Act To Protect Oral Health for Children in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1501
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: GRAMLICH
Amends: 22 MRSA §3174-S

Legislative Document
No. 1501
H.P. 1111
House of Representatives, April 15, 2021
An Act To Protect Oral Health for Children in Maine
Received by the Clerk of the House on April 13, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3174-S, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A.  School-based oral health services.  By January 1, 2025, the department shall 
provide preventive oral health services through the Maine Center for Disease Control and 
Prevention to all schools in the State.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §3174-S, sub-§3, as reallocated by RR 1997, c. 2, §45, is 
amended to read:
3.  Goal.  It is the goal of the Legislature that children enrolled in the Medicaid program 
in all regions of the State have the same access to dental care as children enrolled in private 
dental insurance programs receive at least one preventive dental visit annually.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §3174-S, sub-§4, as reallocated by RR 1997, c. 2, §45, is 
amended to read:
4.  Annual report.  By February 15, 1999 and annually thereafter, the department shall 
submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health 
and human services matters an annual report containing information related to the progress 
of the department in meeting the goal stated in subsection 3 and an action plan to increase 
access to dental care.  The report must include an analysis of the progress being made in 
increasing access, the problems incurred within the prior year and corrective action to be 
taken.  The action plan must consider the following strategies to increase access: nonprofit 
clinics; purchase of practice clinics; enhanced reimbursement for dentists serving a large 
number of children under the Medicaid program; and contracts with dental clinics and 
health centers to provide dental care.  Beginning after February 15, 2021, the report must 
be submitted by December 31st annually and must also include the status of oral health 
services provided in schools pursuant to subsection 2-A, and methods for maximizing 
Medicaid funding as permitted by federal law for oral health staff positions within the 
department and school-based oral health services.
Sec. 4.  Expansion of oral health services.  The Department of Health and Human 
Services shall expand preventive oral health services currently provided in schools through 
the school oral health program of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to 
all schools in the State to comply with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3174-S, 
subsection 2-A by expanding on a rolling basis until all schools are providing services by 
January 1, 2025.
Sec. 5.  Value-based payment pilot project.  No later than July 1, 2022, the 
Department of Health and Human Services shall begin a pilot project for an oral health 
value-based payment model within MaineCare that includes prevention, early intervention, 
disease management and care coordination services for oral health services delivered in 
schools and early child care settings in the payment model.  The pilot project must last no 
less than 24 months.  The department shall report the results of the pilot project to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters no later than January 1, 2025.
Sec. 6.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 0143
Initiative: Provides funding for one Health Program Manager to be the Oral Health 
Coordinator within the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, rural health and 
primary care division, to lead the center's public health functions related to oral health.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
1.000
1.000
Personal Services
$91,975
$95,470
All Other
$6,398
$6,398
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$98,373
$101,868
SUMMARY
This bill changes the legislative goal from ensuring that children on Medicaid receive 
the same level of services as children with dental insurance to ensuring that all children in 
the State with Medicaid receive at least one annual preventive dental visit.  It also requires 
the Department of Health and Human Services to provide preventive oral health services 
through the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention in all schools in the State.  
The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to include in its annual 
report on dental services to children under MaineCare, a report on the expansion of oral 
health services provided in schools and methods for maximization of Medicaid funding as 
permitted by federal law for oral health staff positions and school-based oral health 
services. The date of the annual report is changed from February 15 to December 1 of each 
year.
The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to expand the 
preventive oral health services provided in schools through the school oral health program 
of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to all schools in the State on a 
rolling basis to be compliant with the law by January 1, 2025.
The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to begin a pilot 
project for an oral health value-based payment model within MaineCare that includes 
prevention, early intervention, disease management and care coordination services for oral 
health services delivered in schools and early child care settings.  The pilot project must be 
in place by July 1, 2022 and last no less than 24 months.  The department is required to 
submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
health and human services matters on the results of the pilot project.
The bill provides funding for an Oral Health Coordinator in the Department of Health 
and Human Services to lead the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention's public 
health functions related to oral health.