Megan Leopold of the Kansas Legislative Research Department presented recommendations from the Special Committee on Sedation Dentistry aimed at improving access to sedation dentistry for very young children and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The committee recommended allowing reimbursement for partial services when a sedation procedure is started but stopped for medical or behavioral reasons, raising the facility fee tied to code G0330 to the Medicare rate (committee discussion placed that rate just above $3,000), compiling a complete and current list of dental providers and anesthesiologists for families, increasing consumer education about oral health, exploring incentives to recruit and retain dentists, and supporting the My Dental Care Passport program to help providers understand patients' special needs.

Megan Leopold described the issue: "These are also very high need medical individuals. And in those circumstances, dentists are not being paid for any of the service. So this recommendation is looking for that to be changed." She also said the committee asked KDHE to provide a fiscal note analyzing the cost to raise the G0330 facility fee.

Representative Will Carpenter gave a provider perspective: many anesthesiologists travel long distances for scheduled patients and, if a procedure must be stopped, "they're just out that entire trip" with no compensation. Carpenter said some hospital charges for operating-room time are about $1,700 and that providers effectively lose revenue when reimbursements do not cover those costs.

Representative Barbara Ballard asked whether the My Dental Care Passport was a new tool; staff said it is not new but not widely used and that additional information could be provided to the committee.

Ending: The committee recommended further fiscal analysis and that KDHE provide a list of providers and a cost estimate for raising the facility fee. Committee members said the recommendations would be considered for legislative or budget action as appropriate.