Subcommittee sends due‑pass on bill to expand Medicaid dental coverage at FQHCs
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The subcommittee gave a due‑pass recommendation for legislation to expand Medicaid dental services at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) under Medicaid expansion; sponsors and witnesses said expansion could increase access where providers participate but members noted workforce shortages may limit service availability.
Senators voted to advance legislation that would extend Medicaid dental coverage under Medicaid expansion to services provided by federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and related providers.
Sponsor testimony in favor said the measure fills access gaps for patients who use FQHCs and that the 90/10 federal match for Medicaid expansion makes the program affordable. Witnesses from the FQHC community and the Fargo‑area chamber urged the committee to advance the measure to provide oral‑health access for people served by community health centers.
Committee members discussed workforce constraints including whether private dentists would accept the additional patients and whether expanded payment options would attract more dentists to participate. One senator expressed concern about price shifts for self‑pay patients if Medicaid expansion increased demand for provider capacity; other senators argued the market could respond and the federal match made expansion an attractive investment.
The subcommittee moved a due‑pass recommendation and the clerk called roll; the motion carried and the bill will be taken to the full committee for further consideration.