Minnesota Agencies

The Dental Services Advisory Committee is a subcommittee of the Health Services Advisory Council (HSAC). It advises the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services regarding: the critical access dental program under Minnesota Statutes section 256B.76, subdivision 4, including but not limited to criteria for designating and terminating critical access dental providers; any changes to the critical access dental provider program necessary to comply with program expenditure limits; dental coverage policy based on evidence, quality, continuity of care, and best practices; the development of dental delivery models; and dental services to be added or eliminated from subdivision 9, paragraph (b).

Per Minn. Stat. 256B.0371, subd. 4, the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services shall submit an annual report beginning March 15, 2022, and ending March 15, 2026, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services policy and finance that includes the percentage for adults and children one through 20 years of age for the most recent complete calendar year receiving at least one dental visit for both fee-for-service and the prepaid medical assistance program. 

The committee provides clinical guidance to enhance the Human Services department's ability to design dental care benefit and coverage policies for Minnesota Health Care Programs. Like the Health Services Advisory Council (HSAC), DSAC works with DHS to support evidence-based coverage policy, in which decisions regarding services paid for by public programs are made using the best available research on effectiveness.

In 2021, the Legislature directed the advisory committee to design a dental home demonstration project and present recommendations by February 1, 2022 to the commissioner of Human Services and the Legislature (see 2021 Minn. Laws 1st Sp. Sess. Chap. 7, Art. 1, Sec. 33). 

The dental subcommittee consists of general dentists, dental specialists, safety net providers, dental hygienists, health plan company and county and public health representatives, health researchers, consumers, and a designee of the commissioner of health.

Commissioner of Human Services