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SB 2231

A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact section 50-24.1-45 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to covered services for medical assistance.

69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26) Introduced by Sean Cleary and 5 co-sponsors

Medicaid must cover expanded family-based ABA supports and broader oral health services, including teledentistry and medically necessary dental care for specified populations.

Second reading, failed to pass, yeas 33 nays 59
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Bill Summary · SB 2231

SB 2231 — Summary (North Dakota)

A bill to amend and reenact NDCC § 50‑24.1‑45 (medical assistance covered services)

Purpose / Intent

SB 2231 would expand and clarify certain services that North Dakota Medical Assistance (Medicaid) must cover and pay for, with a focus on: (1) family‑centered behavioral supports tied to applied behavioral analysis (ABA), and (2) expanded oral‑health services including screenings, case management, asynchronous teledentistry, and medically necessary dental care for specified populations.

Key provisions

  • Adds/expressly requires Medicaid payment for the following services (NDCC § 50‑24.1‑45(1)):
    • Family adaptive behavioral treatment and guidance — training/education for parents and caregivers to implement plans and recommendations of applied behavioral analysis (ABA).
    • Additional assessment, diagnostic, and treatment services (related to the behavioral services above).
    • Dental screening and assessment to identify patients in need of dental care.
    • Dental case management for maintenance of oral health for special populations (explicitly listing elderly, persons with special needs, medically fragile individuals, and children).
    • Asynchronous teledentistry to reduce access barriers (used in outreach and to integrate oral health into general health settings to identify and refer treatment needs).
    • Medically necessary dental services.
  • Exclusion clause: the services listed in subdivisions b, c, d, and e of subsection 1 (i.e., the additional assessment/treatment services, dental screening/assessment, dental case management, asynchronous teledentistry, and medically necessary dental services) do not apply to Medicaid expansion for children and adults. (Language limits application to traditional Medicaid populations rather than Medicaid expansion enrollees.)
  • Administrative requirement: the Department of Human Services must process dental claims through the department’s existing dentistry claims system and the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS).

Who is affected

  • Medicaid beneficiaries (particularly elderly, children, medically fragile individuals, and persons with special needs).
  • Parents/caregivers of children receiving ABA-related services.
  • Behavioral health and dental providers (including those offering teledentistry and dental case management).
  • Department of Human Services (administration and claims processing).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced: March 11, 2025.
  • Sponsors (per bill text): Senators Lee, Cleary, Hogan; Representatives Dobervich, Karls, Porter.
  • Related companion bills: HB 4912 and HB 1889.
  • Provided status summary lists “Second reading, failed to pass — yeas 33, nays 59.” (Source materials also include additional legislative action records that appear inconsistent or from other jurisdictions/sessions; the primary status provided above should be treated as the bill’s current outcome per the supplied Bill Information.)
  • No fiscal estimates or effective date are included in the provided text.

Notes / implications

  • The bill would formally require Medicaid coverage for caregiver‑focused ABA continuation supports and expand the statutory recognition of oral‑health services (including teledentistry) for specified vulnerable populations.
  • Because the bill limits application of many dental/assessment provisions to non‑expansion Medicaid (per the exclusion language), the statute’s practical reach will depend on how populations are classified under state Medicaid programs.
  • The bill does not include explicit reimbursement rates, provider qualifications, or a fiscal note in the provided text; implementation would likely require administrative rulemaking and budgetary review by the Department.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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