REFERENCE TITLE: medicaid; dental benefit study committee

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1372

Introduced by

Senator Shope

AN ACT

Establishing the medicaid adult comprehensive dental benefit study committee.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Medicaid adult comprehensive dental benefit study committee; membership; reimbursement; duties; report; delayed repeal

A. The medicaid adult comprehensive dental benefit study committee is established to evaluate the feasibility, cost, long-term fiscal impacts and public health outcomes associated with expanding the Arizona health care cost containment system to include comprehensive dental care for adults, rather than limiting coverage to emergency care and extractions. The study committee shall analyze financing models for expanded dental benefits and develop short-term and long-term medicaid expenditure projections, including dynamic economic modeling of potential cost savings across the medical, behavioral health and emergency care systems.

B. The study committee shall consist of the following members:

1. Two members of the senate who are from different political parties and who are appointed by the president of the senate. The president shall designate one member to serve as cochairperson.

2. Two members of the house of representatives who are from different political parties and who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. The speaker shall designate one member to serve as cochairperson.

3. The director of the Arizona health care cost containment system or the director's designee.

4. The director of the department of health services or the director's designee.

5. Two members representing patient advocacy organizations who have expertise in oral health, dental access or health equity and who are appointed by the president of the senate.

6. Two dentists who are licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 11, Arizona Revised Statutes, who represent dental societies or professional dental organizations, who have experience treating patients with unmet oral health needs and have demonstrated knowledge of oral health access barriers and who are appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

7. One dental hygienist who is licensed pursuant to title 32, chapter 11, Arizona Revised Statutes, who has expertise in preventative oral health services, community oral health or public health dentistry and who is appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.

8. One person who represents a medicaid health plan in this state, who has experience in medical-dental integration or utilization management strategies and who is appointed by the president of the senate.

9. One health care economist or actuarial expert who has demonstrated experience in medicaid financing, value-based care design, dynamic economic modeling and long-term budget forecasting and who is appointed jointly by the cochairpersons.  This member shall support the committee in developing fiscal projections and modeling long-range financial impacts.

C. The study committee shall meet at the call of the cochairpersons and may hold public hearings, request data and solicit expert testimony as needed.

D. Members of the study committee are not eligible to receive compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to title 38, chapter 4, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes.

E. The study committee may:

1. Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the cost, potential medical savings, utilization impacts, health outcomes and long-term value of expanding medicaid coverage to include preventive, diagnostic and restorative adult dental services.

2. Develop and analyze a dynamic financial model incorporating the following:

(a) Projected changes in medical spending associated with untreated oral disease, including emergency room utilization, inpatient admissions, chronic disease management, pregnancy-related complications and opioid prescribing patterns.

(b) Estimated offsets and savings resulting from improved oral health outcomes among adult medicaid members.

(c) Long-term systemwide impacts on the Arizona health care cost containment system, including capitation rate implications, federal matching opportunities and long-horizon cost curves.

(d) Ten-year fiscal projections and sensitivity analyses prepared with the support of the health care economist or actuarial expert member of the study committee.

3. Identify federal funding pathways, including waivers, demonstration projects, state plan options and federal partnerships, that may support implementation.

4. Examine national best practices, particularly in states that have comprehensive medicaid adult dental benefits and have achieved measurable cost reductions, improved outcomes or enhanced medical-dental integration.

5. Review existing Arizona health care cost containment system policies and recommend statutory or administrative changes to improve oral health access, medical-dental integration and workforce capacity.

6. Identify barriers that impact medicaid members, including provider workforce shortages, reimbursement limitations, transportation gaps and disparities affecting rural and tribal communities.

7. Recommend legislative and administrative actions to advance equitable, cost-effective and sustainable adult dental coverage within the Arizona health care cost containment system.

F. On or before April 30, 2027, the study committee shall submit a written report of its activities, findings, financial modeling results and recommendations for legislative or administrative action to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives and shall provide a copy of the report to the secretary of state.

G. This section is repealed from and after June 30, 2027.