Legislature(2017 - 2018)ADAMS ROOM 519
03/16/2018 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB285 || HB286 | |
| HB346 | |
| HB255 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 346 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 217 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 216 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 285 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 286 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 255 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HOUSE BILL NO. 346
"An Act relating to the licensure of dentists."
2:17:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SAM KITO, SPONSOR, shared that he was the
chair of the House Labor and Commerce Committee, which had
introduced the bill. He asked his staff to provide a bill
introduction.
CAITLYN ELLIS, STAFF, REPRESENTATIVE SAM KITO, provided
detail on the bill. The bill would allow the Board of
Dental Examiners to grant temporary licenses for an
emergency replacement of a dental specialist or dentist
serving in a community without additional dentists. There
were only 136 dental specialists covering eight different
specialties in Alaska. The numbers were slim in small
communities making it difficult to get care. The bill would
open up dental licenses to be determined by the board. The
licenses would be granted for 90 days with the option for a
couple of extensions. The bill would open additional
opportunities for care by addressing the gap in coverage in
small communities where dental specialists were difficult
to reach.
Representative Kito added the bill aimed to cover temporary
emergency situations where a dentist was unable to perform
a service and was unable to find someone to perform the
service. The bill would allow the dentist to draw from a
pool of dentists licensed from other states to help on an
emergency and temporary basis. If the dentists were not
licensed and were interested in providing more regular
service in Alaska, they would be responsible for becoming
licensed. The bill only provided for temporary and
emergency situations.
Representative Wilson asked if the Alaska Mission of Mercy
that brought dentists in to work in Fairbanks, Anchorage,
and other locations fell under different licensing than the
licensing in the bill.
Representative Kito deferred the question to the Alaska
Dental Society.
DAVID LOGAN, DDS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA DENTAL
SOCIETY, answered there were two separate licenses. The
Mission of Mercy used a courtesy license that allowed
people to work for pro bono events. The temporary license
[used in the bill] would allow someone to come in and work
in a private office or salaried position for compensation.
2:20:59 PM
Representative Guttenberg shared that a number of years ago
a friend had married a dentist from New Zealand. The
dentist had not been able to get licensed in Alaska by the
board despite his work as a licensed dentist in New
Zealand. He wondered if the temporary license allowed by
the bill would apply to an international person. He asked
if a person had to be already licensed in Alaska or could
be licensed somewhere else within the United States.
Mr. Logan responded that the bill would not change the
particular situation highlighted by Representative
Guttenberg. There was now an avenue for someone licensed in
another country to gain a license. The bill would require a
dentist to be licensed in the U.S. in order to obtain a
temporary permit.
Representative Guttenberg asked if there was currently a
national shortage of specialists. He wondered if there
would be specialists available from other states to come to
Alaska in the event of a shortage.
Mr. Logan responded that Alaska did not have a shortage of
specialists, but it had just enough. If one specialist was
suddenly incapacitated there was no room in the system to
pick up the slack, especially if they were practicing
outside of Anchorage. He speculated that Anchorage could
perhaps pick up the slack, but the workforce was
unavailable anywhere else in Alaska. There was not a large
pool of specialists to pull from in Alaska.
Representative Guttenberg asked whether the national
specialist pool was tight or loose. He wondered what it
would take to entice a specialist to work under a temporary
permit in Alaska.
Mr. Logan replied that bill attempted to tap into the
national pool. The bill would allow someone licensed and
practicing in another state to come to Alaska to help in a
temporary situation. There was an abundance of specialists
in the larger urban areas of the U.S. There was not a lack
of dentists in the U.S.; however, they were over centered
in urban areas and under centered in rural areas - Alaska
was no exception.
2:23:39 PM
Representative Guttenberg stated that years back a friend
had started Mushing Magazine and the hospital had thanked
him because it had been their best recruitment tool. He
elaborated that many doctors had come up from Minnesota and
northern areas. He asked what it would take to entice
people to come up to Alaska.
Mr. Logan replied that if a dentist was incapacitated they
would likely reach out to classmates they had gone to
specialty school with or people they know through
professional organizations. He provided a hypothetical
scenario where a dentist broke a hand and could not work
for several months. More than likely they would find
someone to come up and help by working evenings and
weekends. He explained it would be a sacrifice on the part
of the specialist, but communities that would otherwise not
receive care would have an avenue towards care.
Representative Guttenberg asked if there was a chart
showing the pay differential between specialists in Alaska
and specialists in other states. He added he was supportive
of the bill.
Mr. Logan replied not to his knowledge. He had seen a pay
differential chart for general dentists, but not
specialists.
Vice-Chair Gara stated that he had initially misunderstood
the bill. He asked for verification that the bill would
enable individuals licensed in another state to work
temporarily in Alaska.
Mr. Logan answered in the affirmative. He clarified that
someone trained in one specialty would not have the ability
to work in another specialty, given an absence of training
in the other specialty. The bill would be an avenue to
allow out-of-state dentists to work in Alaska under a
temporary permit. He explained that if a dentist was
already licensed in Alaska, they had no need for the
legislation and could move around the state at will.
2:26:49 PM
Co-Chair Foster OPENED and CLOSED public testimony. He
provided the House Finance Committee email address for
written comments.
Vice-Chair Gara addressed the one fiscal impact note from
the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development. The note showed $2,600 in receipt services to
be paid for by licensees for the cost of potentially
amending regulations.
Co-Chair Seaton MOVED to REPORT CSHB 346(L&C) out of
committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal note.
There being NO OBJECTION, CSHB 346(L&C) was REPORTED out of
committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with one
previously published fiscal impact note: FN1 (CED).
2:28:53 PM
AT EASE
2:29:23 PM
RECONVENED