Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently vetoed a teledentistry bill and enacted another bill to increase funding for adult dental services under Medicaid, Fox 5 Atlanta reported May 8.
House Bill 441 would have established a framework for the practice of teledentistry in the state. In addition to regulating teledentistry services, the bill would have mandated that insurers provide coverage for teledentistry services by a specified date. The state legislature passed the bill earlier this year, but Gov. Kemp ultimately vetoed the bill due to a lack of understanding of the potential financial impact of mandating coverage.
In his veto message, Gov. Kemp said he hopes to revisit the issue around teledentistry services within the state next year.
As part of the state's appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025, Gov. Kemp also increased funding for the state's Medicaid program to cover adult dental services. The state previously only covered emergency dental services for adults.