Speaker Fecteau Introduces Bill to Expand Dental Care Access for Maine Children

LD 2123 will reduce wait times for crucial dental procedures

AUGUSTA – Maine House Speaker Ryan D. Fecteau (D-Biddeford) today introduced LD 2123,  An Act to Improve Dental Care Access for Children by Modifying the MaineCare Reimbursement Methodology for the Provision of Anesthesia for Certain Dental Services, addressing growing backlogs of children awaiting care for dental issues.

The legislation proposes a targeted increase to MaineCare reimbursement rates for anesthesia services provided to children at ambulatory surgery centers treating at least 50% MaineCare patients. As a result, these centers will be able to continue their operations, increase capacity, and reduce wait times. 

“Access to care is critical. Too many Maine children are suffering with tooth pain because of the limited options for care,” said Speaker Fecteau. “This bill is a key step that will help ease just a little bit of that suffering and make it more feasible for other ambulatory surgery centers to expand services for MaineCare patients.”

Across the state, many children on MaineCare lack a “dental home,” meaning they do not have a dentist they see regularly for cleanings and other preventative care. Without this routine maintenance, curable issues – things like cavities – turn into surgical events, with long waits for care. 

“No child should have to suffer in pain because of their insurance status when treatment is available,” said Becca Matusovich, Executive Director of the Children’s Oral Health Network of Maine. “LD 2123 is one important element of a comprehensive strategy to address dental disease among Maine children who have been unable to access dental care.”

“We know children and patients with special needs across Maine face waits for treatment in operating rooms because the MaineCare anesthesia reimbursement rates are significantly lower than the cost of delivering this care,” said Therese Cahill, Executive Director of the Maine Dental Association. “We are incredibly grateful to Speaker Fecteau for sponsoring this legislation, which has a low fiscal impact to the State yet could greatly decrease the pain and suffering of hundreds, if not thousands, of patients around Maine.  We have dentists who are eager to provide care; they just need a setting in which to do so.  LD 2123 is a step towards allowing them to do just that.”

The Health and Human Services Committee will consider LD 2123 in the coming weeks. 

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