{ legislative & regulatory }


Session Recap O


by OLIVIA WILSON


n Friday, May 12, Missouri lawmakers adjourned for the year with fewer than two percent of bills introduced this session making it to the Governor’s desk. The good news is our MDA priority item of Dental Network Leasing did cross the finish line, along with some great budget wins for dental. Following are more details for each area. And, you can head over to MoDental On Demand (media.modental.org) to watch a short video that discusses the session and looks ahead.


SESSION COMES TO A SLOW STOP


Missouri lawmakers adjourned for the year with just 1.7 percent of bills introduced this session making it to the Governor’s desk. A total of 40 policy bills (does not include budget bills) made it through the House and Senate chambers, which, aside from 2020 that was short- ened by COVID, represents the lowest production level since before the year 2000. This was not the case all year, as Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin managed to keep the trains moving during the first several months of session, but each senator gains significant power as the constitutional deadline to pass bills gets closer. Ulti- mately, tension and gridlock threw the chamber out of rhythm and several high-priority policy bills fell short on the one-yard line with- out a final vote being taken before the close of session.


WHY MORE BILLS DIDN’T PASS IN 2023


There are an endless number of variables to consider when evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of the Missouri General Assembly in any given year. A few examples for this session:


• 47 new House members and eight new senators were sworn into office in January as a result of term limits;


• New leadership in the House and Senate, as well as several new committee chairs and procedural/schedule changes;


• A handful of state senators and the speaker of the House are considering a run for statewide in 2024, which could pit one or more of them against each other in a GOP primary;


• A gradual shift in how the power of the filibuster is used as lever- age in the upper chamber; and,


• Continued use of social media by special interests as well as lawmakers to launch personal and policy-related attacks, result- ing in more tension/gridlock than cooperative and professional working relationships.


MDA 2023 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES


Dental Network Leasing: After two years of pushing this legisla- tion, our dental network leasing bill made it across the finish line in


16 focus | SUMMER 2023 | ISSUE 2


Senate Bill 45! The final language is the result of several rounds of negotiations with Missouri’s insurance coalition and Delta Dental, and incorporates nationally-recognized, industry-standard language from NCOIL (The National Coalition of Insurance Legislators). It will require that providers check a separate box on a contract allowing the insurance carrier to lease out their “in-network” status to other plans. If the box is not checked, then the insurance carrier may not lease out the provider’s “in-network” status to other plans. Senate Bill 45 will go into effect August 28 once signed by the Governor. We are working with the Department of Commerce and Insurance and our legal team to learn more about when and how this will affect current and future contracts with our members and insurance carriers.


Virtual Credit Cards: This legislation met too much opposition from legislators and leadership favorable towards insurance to advance this year. It would have banned the use of virtual credit cards, or “alterna- tive methods of reimbursement”, altogether. We are exploring other ways to address this continuing issue in the interim.


Appropriations:


• Medicaid Reimbursement Rates: Last year’s increased reimburse- ment rates for Missouri dental Medicaid providers have been maintained in the FY24 budget.


• Donated Dental Services: This funding was maintained at $90,000 in the FY24 budget.


• Elks Mobile Dental: This funding was increased to $700,000 in the FY24 budget. The House budget committee added an addi- tional $300,000, and the Senate added an additional $200,000, bringing the total allocation up from $200,000 to $700,000!


• Smiles of Hope Dental Clinic: Funded at $1 million, this is a new decision item in the FY24 budget for this charitable care clinic located in Dexter, Mo.


MDA MONITORED LEGISLATION


Vaccine Administration by Dentists: Legislation was filed for the third year in a row by the Missouri dental schools that would allow dentists to administer vaccines relating to the oral cavity, or in a declared state of emergency. We testified in support of this legislation in both


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