Bolinsky Hails House Passage of Good Bill Expanding Home-Based Oral Health Care

Bolinsky Hails House Passage of Good Bill Expanding Home-Based Oral Health Care (HOUSE VIDEO)

HARTFORD, CT — State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R–Newtown), Ranking Member of the State’s Aging Committee, strongly supported a proposal to expand access to routine, preventative oral health care services to include homebound Connecticut residents in a unanimous 144-0 vote of the House of Representative on Tuesday April 28th.

The bill, An Act Allowing Dental Hygienists to Provide Dental Hygiene Services in Private Residences was initially introduced as House Bill 5303, but actually passed the House unanimously, as HB-5140 because of a technical change. The innovative bill takes advantage of current scope-of-practice oral health care outside of traditional dental-office settings, to include private residences of individuals that are homebound.  Remote hygienic oral care is not new, requiring practicing hygienists have at least two years of experience delivering services—including cleanings, oral exams, X-rays, and referrals—in private residences under the same standards currently applied in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and group homes.

Research confirms that untreated oral health issues can contribute to serious medical conditions, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Allowing care in the home will improve early detection and reduce preventable health complications for countless residents, from our homebound seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, to residents facing transportation barriers. According to DataHaven, approximately 400,000 Connecticut adults experience transportation insecurity, and nearly half have not seen a dentist in the past year. Among Medicaid-enrolled adults, that number rises to 50 percent.

“This innovative application of preventative care is a great example of how our Aging Committee works, said Rep. Bolinsky.  We’re known for creative solutions to unmet needs. In HB-5140, we make it possible to reach a greater population of vulnerable Connecticut residents with preventative dental care before problems become chronic conditions. The bill is a common-sense, non-bipartisan approach to putting people before politics. I’m proud to help it pass the House, and grateful to be part of the General Assembly’s most collaborative committee.  Our mission is simple – we stay focused on improving the well-being of our seniors and expanding access to ‘aging-in-place’ services, including making those services more portable for residents who might otherwise miss out on preventative care. We don’t believe in surprises and work closely with our stakeholders early in the process, recognizing we depend on them for successful implementation of many program elements. Ours’ is a simple formula that brings out the best in all partners:  Unity of Purpose + Transparency + Respectful Idea Exchange = Unanimous or Near-unanimous support for our priority bills."

In the last 24-hours, the Legislature’s Aging Committee passed three priority bills.  In addition to Tuesday’s early passage of HB-5140, the committee passed two others on Monday afternoon. HB-5142, a Homemaker/Companion Training bill passed 150-0, and HB-5143, a Virtual Visitation bill passed 149-1. See additional releases for additional information.

The Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services and the state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman supported these proposals.

The bills now head to the State Senate for further debate and vote.