5998-S.E AMH PENN KAUB 046

ESSB 5998 - H AMD TO H AMD (H-3714.1/26) 2101

ADOPTED 02/28/2026

On page 145, after line 33, insert the following:

"(c) Within existing resources, the department shall develop a plan to implement a pilot program to allow certain clients with a developmental disability, as defined in RCW 71A.10,020, who are served by the department, who live in community settings, and whose behavioral or medical acuity prevents them from accessing routine community dental care, to access dental services at residential habilitation centers. The plan must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2026.

(i) The department shall work with the health care authority to identify the best enrollment and billing path for the dental clinics at residential habilitation centers to serve clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities who live in community settings.

(ii) The plan may present multiple options, but it must include a primary option that bases capacity and cost estimates on maximizing the existing physical footprint of residential habilitation center dental clinics, short of any capital improvements or facility expansions. To inform the pilot program, the plan must evaluate the clinics' ability to serve clients across various acuity levels, including identifying which clients can receive direct dental treatment at the centers and which require triage, assessment, and care coordination for a referral to specialized providers for higher-level interventions.

(iii) The plan must contain the following:

(A) Necessary cost information;

(B) Estimates of how much costs could be recovered per client and in aggregate through insurance, fees, medicaid billing, or other options;

(C) Information on which options might require additional billing technology and a detailed explanation of why existing health care authority billing pathways cannot be utilized;

(D) Recommendations for statutory changes; and

(E) Identification of any necessary updates to the state plan approved by the centers for medicare and medicaid services."

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