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State Budget Update
Legislature Continues to Work on FY 25 Budgets
The Michigan State Legislature continues to chip away at crafting their respective Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget recommendations in the House and Senate.
Both the House and Senate Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittees have been taking stakeholder feedback and input on the budget as Chairwomen Senator Sylvia Santana (D-Detroit) and Representative Christine Morse (D-Texas Township) finalize their recommendations.
In February, Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Budget presentation offered an $80.7 billion budget recommendation that includes a general fund total of $14.3 billion and a School Aid Fund total of $19 billion. Notable items in the Executive Recommendation included:
- $4.26 million ($2.5m increase from FY 24) for Kindergarten Oral Health Assessments
- $3 million (a continuation from FY 24) to maintain ambulatory surgery center/outpatient hospital rates for dental services
- $200,000 (a continuation from FY 24) for the Michigan Dental Association’s volunteer dental program
- Continued funding for Medicaid Adult Dental redesign
MOHC supports the Governor’s Executive Recommendations listed above as well as additional items outlined in our Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget Priorities document. Notable items not included in the Executive Recommendation include:
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$500,000 to expand the SEAL! Michigan program
- $750,000 to increase dental access in Northern Michigan
- $3.3 million in funding for Safety Net Dental Providers
- $4 million in increased funding for the University of Detroit Mercy Dental Clinic
- $44.7 million to increase the Medicaid Anesthesia Conversion Factor to increase reimbursement rates for anesthesiologists
We expect to see updated revenues for the upcoming fiscal year in mid-May during the May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference (CREC). The House and Senate will negotiate their respective budget proposals throughout the spring and ultimately present a unified budget to the Governor before the statutory deadline of July 1st.
Legislative Update
Ceremonial Signing of Senate Bill 280
On February 6, Governor Gretchen Whitmer ceremonially signed Senate Bill 280, legislation to remove the sunset on kindergarten oral health assessments.
Regulatory Update
MDHHS Announces Comprehensive Health Care Program Contracts
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) awarded Comprehensive Health Care Program contracts for Michigan’s Medicaid Health Plans across the state’s ten Prosperity Regions. A full breakdown of which plans cover which region in the state can be found here.
MDHHS Issues Proposed Changes to Exam Coverage
MDHHS issued a notice of effective policy, which began on March 1, 2024, that makes changes to comprehensive and periodic exam coverage in conjunction with full mouth debridement. This is to better align with the American Dental Association (ADA) and Current Dental Terminology (CDT) guidance.
MMP 24-02 states that a full mouth debridement is a benefit for those aged 14 and over once every 365 days and may be performed the same day as a comprehensive or periodic oral evaluation when all components of the evaluation have been completed and recorded. Full mouth debridement is not a covered benefit when performed on the same date of service as a comprehensive periodontal evaluation or when a prophylaxis is completed on the same day.
Policy Committee Update
MOHC continues to advocate for Fiscal Year 2025 budget priorities, which include supporting the Governor’s Executive Recommendations for a $2.5 million increase in funding for Kindergarten Oral Health Assessments, among other member priorities. We continue to ask our members to meet with their legislative officials in-district to discuss these priorities.
Department of Insurance and Financial Services Bulletins
Please reach out to Emily Henderson at emily@mccallhamilton.com with questions.
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