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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.
State Budget Update
Governor Whitmer’s 2025 Executive Budget Recommendation
On February 7, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan State Budget Director Jen Flood presented Governor Whitmer’s Fiscal Year (FY) 25 Executive Budget Recommendation before a joint meeting of the Michigan Senate and House Appropriations Committees. This presentation jumpstarts budget season in Lansing, where both the House and Senate use the Governor’s recommendation as a guide to negotiate their respective budget proposals and ultimately present a unified budget to the Governor before the statutory deadline of July 1st.
The much-anticipated budget recommendation, which amounts to the largest state budget in Michigan history, was released amidst the January Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference report that indicated the state’s general fund was $500 million higher than expected.
This year’s presentation offers 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. The Governor proposed the following items of interest:
- $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.
- $1 million of ongoing funds (a continuation from FY 24) for the University of Detroit Mercy’s Dental Clinic.
- Continued funding for Medicaid Adult Dental redesign.
Regulatory Update
MDHHS Issues Proposed Changes to Exam Coverage
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a notice of effective policy, beginning 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 the same day.
MDHHS Issues Proposed Policy on Dental Frequency Verification
MDHHS issued Proposed Policy 2403-Dental, which makes changes to the Dental Frequency Verification Process. Effective June 1, 2024, the previous verification process that required providers to obtain a service request number will end and providers must utilize the new function through CHAMPS to ensure the beneficiary is eligible for a crown, complete denture, or partial denture per the five-year rule. Comments on this policy are due by March 22, 2024.
Policy Committee Update
MOHC has begun advocating for Fiscal Year 2025 budget priorities, which includes supporting the Governor’s Executive Recommendations for a $2.5 million increase in funding for Kindergarten Oral Health Assessments.
Please reach out to Emily Henderson emily@mccallhamilton.com with questions.
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