Wisconsin Legislature Votes in Favor of Multiple Bills That Will Impact Oral Health Practitioners and Students
The Wisconsin State Legislature has had a busy month, having recently voted to
send a number of bills that will impact oral health practitioners and students
in the state to Gov. Tony Evers (D) for consideration.
SB 689 provides for the licensure of dental therapists. If the
bill becomes law, a dental therapist would be required to practice under a collaborative
management agreement with a licensed dentist that specifies various aspects of
the dental therapist's practice and supervision. When initially licensed,
a dental therapist would only be permitted to practice under the direct supervision
of a licensed dentist. After providing dental therapy services for at least 2,000
hours, the dental therapist may provide services under the general supervision
of a qualifying dentist. Additionally, dental therapists would also be limited
to practicing in federally defined dental shortage areas or in settings where
at least 50 percent of their patient base consists of specified populations who are traditionally underserved.
Additionally, the bill also establishes educational requirements
for licensure. To qualify for a license, a candidate must graduate from:
-
a program accredited by the
Commission on Dental Accreditation;
-
a program approved by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry on or before the bill's
effective date that has, as of the time of application, become CODA-accredited; or
-
a program offered in Wisconsin
that has received initial CODA accreditation but is not yet fully CODA-accredited.
Under this provision, an applicant is only eligible for four years after the program's
inception, and if the program is not fully CODA accredited by the time that four-year
period has elapsed, the bill requires the licenses of dental therapists who graduated from the program to be revoked.
SB 692
ratifies the dentist and dental hygienist compact. Once enacted by seven states,
the compact will create a pathway to licensure portability for dentists and dental
hygienists who are licensed in member states. Licensees who live in states that
are compact members can apply for a “compact privilege” that will allow them
to practice in another member state. Iowa
became the first state to join the compact. Washington
state
and Tennessee
became the second and third states, respectively. The bill has also been proposed in 11 additional states.
SB 702 specifies that the Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) may
provide up to $20,000,000 in funding in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium for technical
college programs to expand the state's oral health care workforce. The Technical
College System Board, in coordination with the technical colleges, may submit
a request to JCF for this funding with a plan that identifies each technical college
that requests funding, the amount of funding requested and a detailed description
of the eligible expenditures for which the funding would be used. The bill also details eligible expenditures.
SB 706 modifies a scholarship program so that only students enrolled
in the Marquette University School of Dentistry (MUSD) are eligible. The current
program is open to state residents enrolled in a health training program who agree
to practice in a health shortage area in this state upon graduation. If the changes
become law, the program will be permitted to award up to 15 scholarships to dental
school students enrolled at MUSD. Scholarships, including a stipend, are equal
to $30,000 for each year of a student's enrollment but not exceeding four
years. Additionally, the Higher Educational Aids Board will be required to provide
the school with $350,000 annually for the development and operation of programs
to support the recruitment and training of students in rural dentistry.
SB 476 prohibits the Department of Health Services (DHS) from
requiring a health care provider or provider group that is licensed, certified,
registered or otherwise authorized to provide health care services. It exclusively
offers health care services through telehealth to maintain a physical address
or site in the state to be eligible for enrollment as a certified provider under the Medical Assistance program.
AB 62 allows an individual insured under a health benefit plan
that includes coverage of dental services to assign reimbursement for dental and
related services directly to a dental provider. If reimbursement for dental care
is assigned to a provider of dental care, the bill requires the insurer to directly
pay the provider the amount of any claim under the same criteria and payment schedule
under which it would have reimbursed the insured.
SB 158 creates a preliminary health care credential that is available
to individuals who have completed the requirements for the corresponding permanent
or training health care credential while they await a decision from the Department
of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) regarding their application for the
permanent or training credential. The preliminary credential subjects a person
to all responsibilities and limitations of the corresponding credential. An applicant
for a preliminary credential and health care employers must make specified attestations
to be eligible for the preliminary credential. |
