Sec. 1. 22 MRSA c. 416-A is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 416-A

DENTAL SERVICES

§2127.__Oral health care

1.__Access to quality oral health services.__The department shall develop access to quality oral health services for low- income residents with emphasis on underserved areas or populations by encouraging the development or expansion of community-operated, nonprofit oral health care programs that serve persons who are uninsured or underinsured for oral health care and that serve persons whose oral health care is covered by Medicaid.

2.__Development of oral health care programs.__The department shall use funds appropriated for the purposes of this chapter, any available funds from Medicaid or other resources to provide funding for the start-up or expansion of public or nonprofit oral health care programs; to subsidize the provision of oral health care to persons without insurance coverage for that care in accordance with paragraph B; and to provide oral health case management and community oral health education designed to encourage good oral hygiene and to prevent oral diseases and tooth decay.__Any oral health care program receiving funds under this chapter must:

A.__Serve persons whose oral health care is covered by Medicaid;

B.__Provide oral health care services to persons whose gross income is below 200% of the nonfarm income official federal poverty guidelines for whom insurance coverage is not available for the same payment as provided by Medicaid for the service if the subsidy described in this subsection is available.__Persons without insurance to cover the service required and who have an income under 200% of the nonfarm income official federal poverty guidelines must be charged fees for oral health care on a sliding scale.__The department shall establish the sliding scale by routine technical rules adopted pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.__The difference between the Medicaid rate and the payment made by the patient under the sliding fee arrangement must be paid to the oral health care program by the department.__ If a Medicaid rate is not established for a