Rep. Joshua Penner proposes solution to “dental deserts” for individuals with developmental disabilities

As the state’s population of individuals with developmental disabilities grows, many families face a severe shortage of dental care options, particularly for adults with high behavioral or medical needs.

For these individuals, a standard dental visit is often impossible due to sensory barriers or the need for deep sedation, leaving many to suffer in silence with untreated pain and abscesses.

To bridge this gap, Rep. Joshua Penner, R-Orting, has introduced House Bill 2314, which would open underutilized dental clinics at state Residential Habilitation Centers (RHCs) to community members who are otherwise unable to find care.

“I know this personally with my two kids,” Penner emphasized. “One has sensory barriers that make a dental visit an impediment. The other is wheelchair-bound and cannot transfer without the help of two or three people. Barriers like these make a typical dental visit generally impossible.”

HB 2314 establishes a pilot program to allow the state’s existing RHC dental clinics, which are fully built, licensed, and staffed, to treat community clients with developmental disabilities. These clinics are specifically designed to handle high-acuity patients, including those requiring general anesthesia.

As the resident census at RHCs declines, these specialized clinics are seeing fewer patients, leaving valuable resources idle while the community faces a crisis of access.

“We are already paying for these dentists. We are paying for the overhead, the lights are on, and the chairs are there,” Penner added. “This bill simply unlocks the door between the empty chair that already exists and the patient who needs it. It takes a sunk cost and turns it into a revenue generator by allowing these facilities to provide services to the community.”

The bill directs the Department of Social and Health Services to work with the Health Care Authority to enroll RHC dental clinics as Medicaid-fee-for-service providers. The pilot would focus on clients with high behavioral or medical acuity who have documented histories requiring sedation or who cannot access community care. By utilizing existing infrastructure, the bill expands access without requiring new capital construction or hiring.

“We have facilities, we have the staff, and we have open slots,” Penner concluded. “While we have a declining census at these facilities, we should utilize them more efficiently to help those who have nowhere else to go.”

HB 2314 received a public hearing in the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee and remains under consideration.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov