LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                              Austin, Texas
                                     
                    FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session
  
                              April 11, 2001
  
  
          TO:  Honorable Mike Moncrief, Chair, Senate Committee on
               Health & Human Services
  
        FROM:  John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board
  
       IN RE:  SB1411  by Moncrief (Relating to dental services provided
               under the medical assistance program.), Committee Report
               1st House, Substituted
  
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*  No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.        *
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The bill would define "dental necessity" and make dental necessity a
requirement for services in the Medicaid program.  The bill would
require a number of changes in the Medicaid dental program.  The
reduction/elimination of fees for certain procedures would be fiscally
neutral as the bill directs that amounts made available through
reduction/elimination should be redistributed to other commonly billed
dental services for which adequate accountability measures exist.  The
Department of Health and the Health and Human Services Commission
estimate that the bill's requirements related to provider documentation
and fraud elimination would not have a significant fiscal impact.
  
Local Government Impact
  
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is
anticipated.
  
  
Source Agencies:   504   State Board of Dental Examiners, 529   Health
                   and Human Services Commission, 324   Texas Department
                   of Human Services, 501   Texas Department of Health
LBB Staff:         JK, HD, PP