Health Care Licenses Committee

Filed: 4/29/2009

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 275

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 275 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The Loan Repayment Assistance for Dentists Act
5 is amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 as
6 follows:
 
7     (110 ILCS 948/5)
8     Sec. 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish a
9 program in the Department of Public Health to increase the
10 total number of dentists, and dental specialists, and dental
11 hygienists practicing in designated shortage areas in this
12 State by providing educational loan repayment assistance
13 grants to dentists, and dental specialists, and dental
14 hygienists.
15 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 

 

 

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1     (110 ILCS 948/10)
2     Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context
3 otherwise requires:
4     "Dental hygienist" means a person who holds a license under
5 the Illinois Dental Practice Act to perform dental services as
6 authorized by Section 18 of the Illinois Dental Practice Act.
7     "Dental payments" means compensation provided to dentists
8 and dental specialists for services rendered under Article V of
9 the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Covering ALL KIDS Health
10 Insurance Act, or the Children's Health Insurance Program Act.
11     "Dental specialist" means a person who has received a
12 license as a dentist in this State and who is trained and
13 qualified to practice in one or more of the following
14 specialties of dentistry: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial
15 surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, and
16 prosthodontics.
17     "Dentist" means a person who has received a general license
18 pursuant to paragraph (a) of Section 11 of the Illinois Dental
19 Practice Act, who may perform any intraoral and extraoral
20 procedure required in the practice of dentistry, and to whom is
21 reserved the responsibilities specified in Section 17 of the
22 Illinois Dental Practice Act.
23     "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
24     "Designated shortage area" means a medically underserved
25 area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United
26 States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise

 

 

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1 designated by the Department of Public Health.
2     "Educational loans" means higher education student loans
3 that a person has incurred in attending a registered
4 professional dental education program in this State.
5     "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance
6 program for dentists and dental specialists or dental
7 hygienists established by the Department under this Act.
8 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
9     (110 ILCS 948/15)
10     Sec. 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall
11 establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for
12 dentists and dental specialists who practice in designated
13 shortage areas in this State and who accept certain dental
14 payments as defined under this Act. In addition, the Department
15 shall establish an educational loan repayment assistance
16 program for dental hygienists who practice with a dentist in a
17 designated shortage area in this State. The Department shall
18 administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules
19 not inconsistent with this Act for the program's effective
20 implementation. The Department may use up to 5% of the
21 appropriation for this program for administration and
22 promotion of dentist, and dental specialist, and dental
23 hygienist incentive programs.
24 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 

 

 

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1     (110 ILCS 948/20)
2     Sec. 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2007, the
3 Department shall, each year, consider 4 applications for
4 assistance under the program. The form of application and the
5 information required to be set forth in the application shall
6 be determined by the Department, and the Department shall
7 require applicants to submit with their applications such
8 supporting documents as the Department deems necessary.
9 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
10     (110 ILCS 948/25)
11     Sec. 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance under
12 the program, an applicant must meet all of the following
13 qualifications:
14         (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
15     of the United States.
16         (2) He or she must be a resident of this State.
17         (3) He or she must be practicing full time in this
18     State as a dentist, or dental specialist, or dental
19     hygienist.
20         (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
21     loans.
22         (5) He or she must accept dental payments as defined in
23     this Act.
24         (6) He or she must continue full-time practice or
25     commit to practice full time in this State in a designated

 

 

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1     shortage area for 2 years.
2         (7) He or she must allocate at least 20% of all patient
3     appointments to patients covered by Article V of the
4     Illinois Public Aid Code, the Covering ALL KIDS Health
5     Insurance Act, or the Children's Health Insurance Program
6     Act.
7 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
8     (110 ILCS 948/30)
9     Sec. 30. The award of grants.
10     (a) Under the program, for each year that a qualified
11 applicant practices full time in this State in a designated
12 shortage area as a dentist or dental specialist, the Department
13 shall, subject to appropriation, award a grant to that person
14 in an amount equal to the amount in educational loans that the
15 person must repay that year. However, the total amount in
16 grants that a person may be awarded under the program must not
17 exceed $25,000 per year for a 4-year period.
18     The grant award for a dental hygienist shall be set by rule
19 of the Department.
20     (b) The Department shall require recipients to use the
21 grants to pay off their educational loans.
22     (c) The initial grant awarded to a dentist or dental
23 specialist under this Act shall be for a 2-year period. Based
24 on the successful completion of the initial 2-year grant, the
25 grantees may be awarded up to 2 subsequent one-year grants.

 

 

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1 Grantees are eligible to receive grant funds for no more than a
2 4-year period. Previous grant recipients shall be given
3 priority for years 3 and 4 grant funding, provided that the
4 grantee continues to meet the eligibility requirements set
5 forth in Section 25 of this Act. Grantees shall practice full
6 time in a designated shortage area for the period of each grant
7 awarded.
8     The grant award for a dental hygienist shall be for a
9 maximum of 2 years.
10     (d) Successful applicants shall be eligible for a grant
11 award upon execution of the grant agreement and shall then
12 begin to receive grant award payments on a quarterly basis.
13     (e) The Department shall award grants to otherwise eligible
14 dental applicants by using the following criteria:
15         (1) Dental specialist willing to practice in any
16     designated shortage area.
17         (2) Dentist willing to practice in a designated
18     shortage area with the highest Health Professional
19     Shortage Area (HPSA) score.
20         (3) Dentist willing to practice in a designated
21     shortage area with the highest HPSA score and agreeing to
22     allocate the highest percentage of patient appointments to
23     those that are covered by Article V of the Illinois Public
24     Aid Code, the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act, or
25     the Children's Health Insurance Program Act.
26 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 

 

 

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1     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2 becoming law.".