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HB222 • 2026

MEDICAID: Requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures for certain Medicaid enrollees (EG1 +$784,370 GF EX See Note)

MEDICAID: Requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures for certain Medicaid enrollees (EG1 +$784,370 GF EX See Note)

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Stephanie Berault
Last action
2026-05-29
Official status
Adopted in House concurrence
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the cost or funding, nor does it specify which dental procedures will be covered.

Medicaid Dental Coverage

This bill requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures if they are medically necessary for a patient to receive other medical treatments covered by Medicaid.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Louisiana Medicaid program to pay for dental procedures when these procedures are medically necessary before a person can get another medical treatment that Medicaid covers.
  • Tells the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health to submit changes to the federal government about how Medicaid will cover dental care.
  • Gives the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health permission to make rules and regulations to follow this new law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who are enrolled in Medicaid
  • The Louisiana Department of Health

Terms To Know

Medically necessary
A medical or dental procedure that is needed to treat a health problem.
State plan amendment
Changes made by the state to its Medicaid program rules, which need approval from the federal government.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost or where the funding will come from.
  • It is unclear what specific dental procedures will be covered under this law.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Plain English: The amendment makes a technical change to HB222, which requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures for certain enrollees when those procedures are medically necessary.

  • Makes a technical change to the bill.
  • The exact nature of the technical change is not specified in the provided text.

Plain English: The amendment to HB222 requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures for certain enrollees as amended by the Senate.

  • Medicaid must now provide coverage for specific dental procedures for eligible recipients.
  • The official text does not specify which dental procedures or which enrollees are covered, so more details about these aspects are needed to fully understand the amendment's impact.

Plain English: SCAHB222 3005 3305 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB222 3005 3305 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 222 by Representative Berault 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 9, change "will" to "shall" Page 1 of 1

Plain English: SCAHB222 3005 3261 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB222 3005 3261 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 222 by Representative Berault 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 9, change "will" to "shall" Page 1 of 1

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-29 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 94, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

  2. 2026-05-27 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.

  3. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  4. 2026-05-25 S

    Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  5. 2026-05-20 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  6. 2026-05-19 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  7. 2026-05-18 S

    Reported favorably.

  8. 2026-05-07 S

    Read by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

  9. 2026-05-07 S

    Senate Committee amendments read and adopted.

  10. 2026-05-06 S

    Reported with amendments.

  11. 2026-04-28 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  12. 2026-04-27 S

    Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  13. 2026-04-27 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  14. 2026-04-23 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/27/2026.

  15. 2026-04-22 H

    Read by title, ordered reengrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  16. 2026-04-21 H

    Reported favorably (13-0).

  17. 2026-03-26 H

    Read by title, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.

  18. 2026-03-25 H

    Reported favorably (8-0).

  19. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  20. 2026-02-20 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.

  21. 2026-02-19 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  22. 2026-02-19 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

MEDICAID: Requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures for certain Medicaid enrollees (EG1 +$784,370 GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HLS 26RS-560 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 222
BY REPRESENTATIVES BERAULT, ADAMS, BACALA, BOUDREAUX, BRAUD,
BUTLER, WILFORD CARTER, CARVER, CHASSION, COX, DEWITT, EGAN,
FISHER, GLORIOSO, GREEN, HILFERTY, JACKSON, MIKE JOHNSON,
TRAVIS JOHNSON, KNOX, LAFLEUR, TERRY LANDRY, LYONS,
MARCELLE, MOORE, MURRAY, PHELPS, TAYLOR, WALTERS, WYBLE,
CARRIER, CHANCE HENRY, MACK, MARTINEZ, OWEN, STAGNI, AND
ZERINGUE
MEDICAID: Requires Medicaid to cover dental procedures for certain Medicaid enrollees
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 40:1259.3, relative to Medicaid coverage; to require Medicaid coverage for
3 dental procedures in certain circumstances; to require the Louisiana Department of
4 Health to take certain administrative actions; to provide for a state plan amendment;
5 to provide for administrative rules; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 40:1259.3 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §1259.3. Medicaid coverage for dental procedures in certain circumstances
9 A. The Louisiana Medicaid program will cover a dental procedure for a
10 Medicaid enrollee if the procedure is medically necessary in order for the patient to
11 be cleared to receive another Medicaid-covered medical procedure.
12 B. Pursuant to this Section, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of
13 Health shall do all of the following:
14 (1) Submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services all necessary
15 state plan amendments.
16 (2) Promulgate all necessary rules and regulations in accordance with the
17 Administrative Procedure Act.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-560 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 222
1 (3) Take any other actions as are necessary to implement the provisions of
2 this Section.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 222 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Berault
Abstract: Requires coverage for medically necessary dental procedures required for
clearance to receive another Medicaid-covered medical procedure.
Proposed law provides that the La. Medicaid program shall cover a dental procedure for a
Medicaid enrollee when the procedure is medically necessary for the patient to be cleared
to receive another Medicaid-covered medical procedure.
Proposed law requires the secretary of the La. Dept. of Health to submit all necessary state
plan amendments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Proposed law requires the secretary to promulgate all necessary rules and regulations.
Proposed law requires the secretary to take any additional actions necessary to implement
the provisions of proposed law.
(Adds R.S. 40:1259.3)
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.