SF1896

SF1896 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Requirements modification for dental administrator rates in the medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs

Related bill: HF1934

AI Generated Summary

This Minnesota Senate bill (S.F. No. 1896) proposes modifications to the administration of dental services for recipients of Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare. The bill includes the following key provisions:

Delay in Contract Implementation: The contract with a single dental administrator to manage dental services for Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare recipients is postponed from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2030.
Responsibilities of the Dental Administrator: The dental administrator's duties include provider recruitment, recipient assistance, utilization reviews, claims processing, fraud and abuse management, performance monitoring, and ensuring network adequacy.
Performance Benchmarks: The dental administrator contract will be terminated if by 2032, at least 55% of continuously enrolled children and adults have not received at least one dental visit per year.
Establishment of a Critical Access Dental Provider Task Force: The bill creates a task force to assess the impacts of a single dental administrator on:
- The financial viability of critical access dental providers,
- Access to care for enrollees served by these providers.
Assessments by the Task Force: The task force is required to review financial impacts on reimbursement, effects on supplemental funding sources, potential harms to integrated care coordination, and other related concerns.
Task Force Membership: Members include representatives from the Department of Human Services, Minnesota Legislature, dental associations, nonprofit dental clinics, private dental providers, and the Minnesota Rural Health Association.
Reporting Requirement: The task force must submit a report by January 15, 2027, with evaluations of patient access to care, financial impact analysis, and recommendations to prevent harm to critical access dental providers.

The bill seeks to ensure adequate access to dental care for low-income populations while evaluating the effects of a single dental administrator model before full implementation.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
February 26, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading
February 26, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading
February 26, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Referred to	Health and Human Services
February 26, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Referred to	Health and Human Services
March 23, 2025	Senate	Floor	Action	Author added

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Amendment to extend the timeline for contracting with a dental administrator."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This legislation modifies the contingent contract requirements with dental administrators under section 256B.0371, subdivision 3, within the context of medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs.",
      "modified": [
        "Adjusts the performance benchmark assessment periods and requirements."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256B.0371",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 3"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Reference to the network adequacy and geographic access requirements under section 62K.14.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "62K.14",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "References to payment rate establishment for dental services under section 256B.76.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256B.76",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "References to payment rate establishment for dental services under section 256L.11.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256L.11",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "References to critical access dental providers as defined in section 256B.76, subdivision 4.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256B.76",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 4"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Application of provisions relating to member terms, compensation, and removal governing task forces under section 15.059.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "15.059",
    "subdivision": ""
  }
]