Code of Maine Rules › 94 - INDEPENDENT AGENCIES › 457 - FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE (FAME) › Chapter 612 - MAINE DENTAL EDUCATION LOAN AND LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS › Section 457-612-I - Definitions

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. Certain terms used in this rule, which are
				defined in the Finance Authority of Maine Act,
				10 M.R.S.A.
				§961 and following and in 20-A M.R.S.A.
				Chapter 426 shall have the meanings set forth therein, unless clearly specified
				otherwise or unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
B. Defined Terms
1. [Reserved]
2. "Chief executive officer" means the chief
				executive officer of the Authority or a person acting under the supervisory
				control of the chief executive officer.
3. "Completion of professional education"
				means completion of dental school, post-graduate dental training and obligated
				public health service, and/or obligated national service.
4. "Dental care facility" means any health
				care facility that offers primary dental care as either its primary service or
				as part of a broader medical practice and (a) accepts payment through MaineCare
				or a successor program; and (b) at which at least 25% of the patient load has
				been accepted for treatment regardless of ability to pay through insurance or
				other payment source. A dental care facility must provide patients notice that
				it accepts payment through Maine Care or a successor program.
5. "Forgiveness" means the satisfaction of
				all or a portion of the loan obligation by a loan recipient through an eligible
				practice as set forth in section
				III. E.3.
6. "Indebtedness" shall be equal to any
				amount borrowed as a direct loan for dental education, plus any interest
				accrued thereon.
7. "Loan
				recipient" means any student who incurs indebtedness from the Authority for
				dental education, evidenced by a Note and Loan Agreement requiring the amount
				of money borrowed to be repaid either through cash installment payments or
				through forgiveness.
8. "Maine
				resident" means a person who has been a resident of the State of Maine for a
				minimum of two years for purposes other than education at the time of the
				person's entry to dental school. In determining whether an applicant is a Maine
				resident the Authority may consider (a) the amount of time the applicant has
				resided in the State for other than tuition purposes; (b) the secondary school
				the applicant attended; (c) the legal residence of the applicant's parents, if
				the applicant is dependent; (d) the location where the applicant is registered
				to vote, if any; (e) the jurisdiction(s) in which the applicant files income
				tax forms; (f) the jurisdiction where the applicant is licensed to drive, if
				any; (g) such other relevant documents and information as determined necessary
				or convenient in the opinion of the chief executive officer.
9. "Obligated national service" means an
				obligation incurred for financial assistance during undergraduate or graduate
				education, for internship or residency training provided by the Armed Forces
				Services of the United States, or for compulsory national service required by
				an Act of Congress.
10. "Primary
				dental care" means oral health services, including those provided by general
				practice and pediatric dentists, but excluding dental specialties (examples of
				specialties include without limitation: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial
				pathology, prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial radiology).
11. "Postgraduate training" includes general
				practice dental residencies, dental residences and any internships or
				fellowships in areas of primary dental care.
12. "Repayment period" means the period of
				time commencing six months after completion of professional education,
				post-graduate training, and obligated national service required by an Act of
				Congress, or withdrawal from school and continuing up to ten years.
13. "Return service" means employment in a
				practice that qualifies the loan recipient for forgiveness of any portion of
				the indebtedness.
14. "Underserved
				population area" means an area in the State of Maine that is a dental health
				professional shortage area or medically underserved area or that contains a
				medically underserved population, as defined by the federal Department of
				Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration or any
				successor thereto.