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H 7837Health Insurance

Businesses and Professions - Dentists and Dental Hygienists

This bill allows public health dental hygienists and mobile dental programs to bill private insurance companies for their services.

Signed into law63 Yea0 Nay12 Not voting
Population
Affected
25
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the existing laws regarding public health dental hygienists in Rhode Island. Specifically, it expands the ability of these hygienists, or the government agencies and mobile dental programs they work for, to get paid for their services. Previously, they were generally limited to reimbursement from Medicaid or state programs. This bill allows them to seek reimbursement from private insurance companies and other third-party payors. The bill maintains requirements for collaborative agreements with dentists and ensures patients are informed that these services do not replace a comprehensive exam by a dentist.

For younger readers

This rule changes how dental hygienists who work in places like schools or nursing homes get paid. Right now, they mostly get paid by the government for cleaning teeth in these places. This new rule says they can also get paid by private insurance companies, just like a regular dentist office does. This helps these hygienists keep working and helping people who might not be able to get to a dentist's office easily. They still have to tell their patients to go see a regular dentist for a full check-up later.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Public Health Dental HygienistsPrivate Insurance CompaniesMobile Dental Program OperatorsNursing Home ResidentsSchool Students
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Increases the financial sustainability of mobile dental clinics and public health programs, ensuring continued access to dental care for vulnerable populations in schools and nursing homes.
  • Expands healthcare equity by removing financial barriers that might otherwise prevent hygienists from delivering care in underserved community settings.
  • Strengthens the public safety net by allowing government agencies to recover costs from private insurers, potentially freeing up public funds for other essential social services.
  • Could potentially encourage a two-tiered healthcare system where low-income individuals receive care primarily from hygienists while wealthier individuals see dentists.
  • May incentivize the privatization of public health services if third-party billing becomes the primary focus over community welfare and holistic care.
  • Does not mandate that private insurers cover these services, potentially leaving a gap in coverage despite the authorization to bill, which could lead to confusion for patients.
For Conservatives
  • Reduces the burden on taxpayers by allowing public health programs to bill private insurance instead of relying solely on Medicaid or state funding.
  • Promotes free-market principles by removing government restrictions that prevented qualified professionals from seeking payment from private entities.
  • Encourages private sector participation in healthcare delivery by supporting the financial viability of mobile and portable dental business models.
  • Dilutes the traditional doctor-patient relationship by allowing hygienists to operate and bill effectively independently of direct dentist supervision in certain settings.
  • Could lead to lower standards of care if patients substitute hygienist visits for comprehensive exams by a licensed dentist, undermining the medical hierarchy.
  • Expands the scope of government agencies by explicitly authorizing them to act as billing entities for dental services, potentially competing with private practices.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 2 additions · 1 deletion

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 5-31.1-39 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-31.1 entitled "Dentists and Dental Hygienists" is hereby amended to read as follows: 5-31.1-39. Public health hygienists.

(a) Any public health dental hygienist, which for purposes of this chapter means any practicing registered dental hygienist who may perform dental-hygiene procedures in a public- health setting subject to conditions adopted by the Rhode Island board of examiners in dentistry, may perform in a public-health setting, without the immediate or direct supervision or direction of a dentist, any procedure or provide any service that is within the dental-hygiene scope of practice that has been authorized and adopted by the Rhode Island board of examiners in dentistry as a delegable procedure for a dental hygienist under general supervision in a private practice setting.

(b) Public-health settings shall, for purposes of this section, include, but are not limited to, residences of the homebound, schools, nursing home and long-term-care facilities, clinics, hospitals, medical facilities, community health centers licensed or certified by the department of health, mobile and portable dental-health programs licensed or certified by the department of health and operated by a local or state agency, head-start programs, and any other facilities or programs deemed appropriate by the department of health.

(c) Any public-health hygienist shall enter into a written, collaborative agreement with a local or state government agency or institution or with a licensed dentist who states that he or she shall be able to provide the appropriate level of communication and consultation with the dental hygienist to ensure patient health and safety prior to performing any procedure or providing any service under this section. The written, collaborative agreement will follow the appropriate guidelines as determined and established by the Rhode Island board of examiners in dentistry.

(d) Any public-health dental hygienist shall provide to the patient, or to the patient’s legal guardian, a consent form to be signed by the patient or legal guardian. The consent form shall be consistent with current department of health policies that describes services to be rendered and explains that services rendered are not a substitute for a dental examination by a dentist. The consent form shall also inform the patient or legal guardian that the patient should obtain a dental examination by a dentist within ninety (90) days after undergoing a procedure authorized pursuant to this section. The patient or legal guardian shall also obtain written referral to a dentist and an assessment of further dental needs.

(e) The public-health dental hygienist shall be directly reimbursed for services administered in a public-health setting by Medicaid or the state healthcare insurance program except as required by federal Medicaid law, but shall not and may seek reimbursement from any other insurance or third-party payor. A public-health dental hygienist shall not operate independently of a dentist, except for a dental hygienist working for a local or state government agency or institution or practicing in a mobile or portable prevention program licensed or certified by the department of health. In such cases, the local or state government agency or institution or mobile or portable prevention program licensed or certified by the department of health may seek reimbursement from any other third-party payor.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.