HB 265-MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR DENTURES                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:56:06 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR KELLER announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 265, "An Act providing for  a two-year funding                                                               
cycle for medical assistance coverage for dentures."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:56:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   BERTA   GARDNER,   Alaska   State   Legislature,                                                               
explained that HB  265 was a change in the  funding structure for                                                               
the  Adult  Medicaid  Dental  program.   She  reported  that  the                                                               
current law  only allowed  for payment  of one-half  of a  set of                                                               
dentures each  fiscal year.  HB  265 would allow for  patients to                                                               
receive  both upper  and lower  dentures  in the  same year,  but                                                               
would not allow  them new dentures in the  following fiscal year.                                                               
She  emphasized that  this did  not increase  the benefit  or the                                                               
cost to the program and that it was more medically effective.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:58:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked if this would affect routine care.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER  replied that other coverage  would not be                                                               
affected.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:59:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CISSNA opined  that HB  265 appeared  to be  very                                                               
cost effective.  She asked what  the cost savings would be to the                                                               
state and the system.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:59:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GARDNER  offered  to  explain  the  fiscal  notes                                                               
during the next meeting.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[HB 265 was held over.]