California Governor Signs Multiple Bills
Before
adjourning in September, the California State Legislature sent several bills to
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) that could have an impact on dentistry and dental education
in the state. Last week, Gov. Newsom took action on several of those bills.
AB 936 will allow any dental student who has begun clinical training
to practice dentistry at free health care events. Current law only allows dental
students in their final year to provide care at these events. The bill also adds
a clarification that for any clinical procedures, the designated supervising faculty
is responsible for assessing the patient treated by a student and determining
if the assigned student has the skill level necessary to provide care to that
patient. The bill passed both chambers of the legislature with unanimous support.
SB 770 could eventually lead to a unified health care financing
system. Under the bill, the Secretary of the California Health and Human Services
Agency would be required to pursue discussions with the federal government to
obtain a waiver that would allow the creation of a unified health care financing
system. This unified system would provide comprehensive medical, behavioral health,
pharmaceutical, dental and vision benefits. A more detailed summary was provided
in the July 18 issue of the ADEA Advocate.
AB 1048 prohibits dental insurers from imposing a dental waiting
period (a contract provision that limits coverage for a specified period of time
following an enrollee’s effective date of coverage) and provisions that exclude
or limit coverage for a preexisting condition. The bill also requires dental insurers
to report to the state specified information related to rates (including rate
increases), changes in benefits, changes in administrative costs, loss ratio and
other factors. State regulatory agencies would then be required to review submitted
information and determine if a rate change is unreasonable or unjustified. The
bill was supported by the California Dental Association, which has stated the legislation will provide insight into the methods dental insurers are using to set rates.
AB 1257 will make graduates of the state’s dental hygiene programs
eligible for licensure upon graduation. Under the bill, anyone who has graduated
from a California-accredited program that has also been approved by the Dental
Hygiene Board of California within the last three years, will be eligible to apply
for a license as a registered dental hygienist.
