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Amend the bill by inserting after section 4 the following:
‘Sec. 5. Bureau of Insurance Report. The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance shall review and evaluate the financial impact, social impact and medical efficacy of the mandated health insurance benefit required in this Act after its enactment in the same manner as required for proposed mandated health benefits legislation in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, section 2752. The bureau shall also compare the projected cost impact of this mandated benefit prior to enactment and the actual cost impact of the mandated benefit based on premium information after enactment. As part of its assessment of the medical efficacy of the mandate, the bureau shall consult with health insurance and dental insurance carriers and independent practice dental hygienists to determine whether the mandate has increased access to dental services in areas of the State designated as having a shortage of dentists and whether granting authority to carriers to include independent practice dental hygienists in a dental provider network has an impact on the cost and access to dental services. The bureau shall contract within the bureau's existing budgeted resources for any necessary consulting and actuarial expertise to complete the report required by this section. The bureau shall submit a report, including any recommendations for legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over insurance and financial services matters no later than February 1, 2013. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over insurance and financial services matters may report out a bill based on the report to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. The amendment requires the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance to submit a report related to the experience of carriers with the mandate requiring coverage for dental services performed by a licensed independent practice dental hygienist. The report must be submitted by February 1, 2013. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over insurance and financial services matters is authorized to report out a bill to the First Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)