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Legislation of Interest

MDAC has provided testimony on a number of issues including: preserving funding for the Fund for a Healthy Maine (Maine's tobacco settlement dollars) for oral health programs and services,  improving Maine's MaineCare Program, and  the implications of dental education loan programs and licensure changes.
Here are some links for effective advocacy

• A  guide to being an effective constituent How to Communicate with your Legislator  
• Understanding how a bill gets made  http://www.state.me.us/legis/lawlib/billpath.htm.
• How to find out who your State Representatives are http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htm
• Home of the Maine State legislature and how to find an LD http://janus.state.me.us/legis/
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Oral Health Bills from the 123rd Maine Legislative Session (end April 2008)

LD 2277  An Act Regarding the Sunrise Review of Oral Health Care Issues, enacted as Public Law, Ch. 620 Title 32 Professions and Occupations. This law creates a new license category of Independent Practice Dental Hygienist and authorizes an independent practice dental hygienist to perform specified procedures without supervision by a dentist. It also requires an independent practice dental hygienist to provide a patient with a referral plan to a dentist for any necessary dental care.

 
LD 2192  An Act To Increase Access to Dental Care, enacted as PL Chapter 690,Title 36, Taxation. This creates an income tax credit of up to $15,000 beginning in 2009 for up to 5 new dentists in 2009 and 5 additional dentists in 2010 who agree to practice in underserved areas of the State for at least 5 years and requires DHHS (through the Oral Health Program) to certify eligibility and to report on the effectiveness of the tax incentive in 2011. This bill sunsets in 2015 when the 5 years ends for those initiating the benefit in 2010. 

LD 1984 An Act To Provide a State Income Tax Deduction to Dentists for Military Pensions, enacted as Public Law, Chapter 689, Title 36, Taxation. This provides a tax deduction to dentists with military pension benefits for dentists who practice for an average of at least 20 hours per week during the tax year and who accept patients who receive benefits under the MaineCare program. 

Oral Health and MaineCare 

Members of the oral health community were invited to speak to the Health & Human Services Committee on October 30,2007 about MaineCare and oral health services. The presentations from representatives from MDAC, DHHS, the Maine Dental Association and the Maine Equal Justice Partners are available through these links. 

Maine Oral Health Improvement Plan |  Task Force on Oral health |  Legislation