HCR 90 Text

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 90

(By Delegates Brown, Caputo, Hrutkay, Webster, Long, Guthrie, Fleischauer, Burdiss, Lane, Shook, Mahan, Stemple and Miley)

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to conduct an interim study on the improvement of access to oral health care services in states that allow dental hygienists to administer services to patients in a variety of settings.

Whereas, West Virginia is in the midst of a long-standing and well-documented oral health care crisis; and
Whereas , Links between individuals' oral health and overall health continue to emerge; and
Whereas , Poor oral health remains a neglected epidemic in West Virginia, especially among certain segments of the population -- 80 percent of cavities in children are concentrated in just 25 percent of the children's population; and
Whereas , 72 percent of West Virginia's children are covered by dental insurance, primarily through public programs (Medicaid, SCHIP), with 40 percent having not seen their dentist in the last six months; and
Whereas , West Virginia has ranked first among all states in the percentage of people ages sixty-five and older who have lost their natural teeth; and
Whereas , Preventive oral health care services remain an important component in the prevention and early detection of oral health care diseases; and
Whereas , Dental hygienists in West Virginia are formally educated and state licensed health care professionals proficient in administering oral health services without the direct supervision of a dentist; and
Whereas , 48 states and the District of Columbia currently allow dental hygienists to administer oral health care services in at least one setting under the general supervision of a dentist; and
Whereas , General supervision has proven to be a safe practice that allows for more efficient administration of oral health care services in the states that currently allow for it; and
Whereas , General supervision facilitates increased access to oral health care services by enabling dental hygienists to administer services to patients in a variety of settings, particularly for populations currently disenfranchised from the oral health care system due to their inability to travel to a dental office; and
Whereas , The U.S. Surgeon General issued a report that identified lack of access to oral health care services as one of the major barriers to care for underserved populations; and
Whereas , The U.S. Surgeon General urged policymakers to take action to increase access to oral health care services; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to conduct an interim study on the improvement of access to oral health care services in states that allow dental hygienists to administer services to patients in a variety of settings; and, be it
Further Resolved , That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2007, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved , That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committe e on Government and Finance.

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