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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY SAYLOR, BAKER, BOYD, BROWN, CREIGHTON, CUTLER, EVERETT, HENNESSEY, HUTCHINSON, KORTZ, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, PICKETT, QUINN, RAPP, REICHLEY, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY, SWANGER, J. TAYLOR, VULAKOVICH AND WATSON, MARCH 23, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 23, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Establishing the Dentists for Medical Assistance Patients |
2 | Program in the Department of Public Welfare. |
3 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
4 | hereby enacts as follows: |
5 | Section 1. Short title. |
6 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Dentists for |
7 | Medical Assistance Patients Act. |
8 | Section 2. Purpose. |
9 | The purpose of this act is to help meet the inadequacies for |
10 | improving care to those on medical assistance, to bring dentists |
11 | into communities where there is a need and to provide an |
12 | incentive to students of this Commonwealth to pursue higher |
13 | education and training in dentistry in order to maintain the |
14 | quality of health care services in this Commonwealth. |
15 | Section 3. Definitions. |
16 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
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1 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
2 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
3 | "Dentist." A doctor of dental surgery or doctor of dental |
4 | medicine who is licensed within this Commonwealth to practice |
5 | dentistry. |
6 | "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the |
7 | Commonwealth. |
8 | "Program." The Dentists for Medical Assistance Patients |
9 | Program established under this act. |
10 | Section 4. Program. |
11 | (a) Establishment.--The Dentists for Medical Assistance |
12 | Patients Program is established within the department. |
13 | (b) Administration.--The Commonwealth shall administer the |
14 | program on a Statewide basis and utilize funds in the program to |
15 | encourage recently graduated dentists to provide care to |
16 | patients on medical assistance in each of the counties based on |
17 | need. The Commonwealth shall provide an annual supplemental |
18 | salary of $80,000 to recently graduated dentists within three |
19 | years from the date of graduation who dedicate 50% of their |
20 | practice to caring for patients on medical assistance. Dentists |
21 | within six years from the date of graduation shall receive an |
22 | annual supplemental salary of $30,000 if they dedicate 20% of |
23 | their practice to serving patients on medical assistance. |
24 | (c) Applications.--The department shall promulgate |
25 | guidelines for the selection of candidates to the program based |
26 | on the following criteria: |
27 | (1) Demonstrated need. |
28 | (2) Willingness to continue practicing and serving |
29 | patients on medical assistance in this Commonwealth after |
30 | expiration of the program. |
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1 | (d) Eligibility.--Dentists must be within three years from |
2 | the date of graduation from an accredited dental school to |
3 | receive an annual supplemental salary of $80,000 or within six |
4 | years from the date of graduation from an accredited dental |
5 | school to receive an annual supplemental salary of $30,000 from |
6 | the Commonwealth. Participating dentists shall not be eligible |
7 | to receive reimbursements from the Commonwealth for serving |
8 | patients on medical assistance beyond this program. |
9 | (e) Selection.--The department shall give preference to |
10 | dentists in the following order: |
11 | (1) Recipients of funds who, by contract with the |
12 | department, agree to practice dentistry in an area of this |
13 | Commonwealth that is reported by the department as an area |
14 | where a shortage of dentists who serve patients on medical |
15 | assistance exists. |
16 | (2) Commonwealth natives completing training in this |
17 | Commonwealth. |
18 | (3) Out-of-State candidates completing training in this |
19 | Commonwealth. |
20 | (4) Commonwealth natives completing out-of-State |
21 | training. |
22 | (5) Out-of-State candidates completing out-of-State |
23 | training. |
24 | (f) Verification.--The department shall monitor and verify a |
25 | dentist's fulfillment of all requirements under this act. |
26 | Section 5. Contract. |
27 | (a) General rule.--Dentists receiving funds shall enter into |
28 | a contract with the department. The contract shall include, but |
29 | not be limited to, the following terms and conditions: |
30 | (1) The dentist shall agree to provide care to the |
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1 | established percentage of patients on medical assistance in |
2 | relation to the total number of patients served. |
3 | (2) The dentist shall permit the department to monitor |
4 | compliance with the percentage requirement. |
5 | (3) The contract shall be renewable on an annual basis |
6 | upon certification by the department that the dentist has |
7 | complied with the terms of the contract. Contracts may be |
8 | renewable for a total of six years. |
9 | (4) The contract shall terminate if the dentist dies, is |
10 | not able to perform the duties of a dentist or is not able to |
11 | maintain the dentist's license to practice dentistry due to |
12 | physical or mental disability. |
13 | (5) If a dentist's license to practice is suspended or |
14 | revoked, the department shall have the authority to terminate |
15 | the dentist's participation in the program and demand |
16 | repayment of all funds rendered to date. |
17 | (6) A dentist who fails to begin or complete the |
18 | obligations contracted for shall reimburse the Commonwealth |
19 | all amounts received under this act and interest thereon as |
20 | determined by the department. Both the dentist and the |
21 | department shall make every effort to resolve conflicts in |
22 | order to prevent a breach of contract. |
23 | (b) Contract enforcement.--The department shall have the |
24 | authority to seek garnishment of wages for the collection of |
25 | damages provided for under subsection (a)(6). |
26 | Section 6. Funding. |
27 | The department is authorized to use funds specifically |
28 | appropriated by the General Assembly and any funds, |
29 | contributions or payments which may be available to the |
30 | department by another Commonwealth agency, the Federal |
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1 | Government or any public or private source for the purpose of |
2 | implementing this section. |
3 | Section 7. Reporting requirements. |
4 | The department shall submit annually to the chairman and |
5 | minority chairman of the Public Health and Welfare Committee of |
6 | the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Health |
7 | and Human Services Committee of the House of Representatives a |
8 | report that provides details of the department's expenditures, |
9 | including administrative expenditures, under this section. |
10 | Section 8. Regulations. |
11 | The department shall adopt rules and regulations to carry out |
12 | the provisions of this act. |
13 | Section 20. Effective date. |
14 | This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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