State Budget Update

Legislature Passes FY 25 Budget

In the early hours of Thursday, June 27, the Michigan State House and Senate voted on and approved a state budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 25), which begins on October 1, 2024. This budget was months in the making, with negotiations culminating between the Governor’s office and Senate and House leadership over the past several weeks following the May 17 Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference’s assessment that revealed state revenues were trending slightly upwards for the General Fund and downwards for the School Aid Fund.

Additional items played a role in the final FY 25 budget, most notably changes applied to Michigan’s Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS) and the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve (SOAR). Regarding MPSERS, the legislature negotiated a one-year deal that reduces the amount school districts and teachers pay into retiree health care, and the state would instead provide funding with an increased cost of $176.4 million. To fund this change in practice, there was no increase in the per-pupil foundation allowance. Regarding SOAR, while there were many conversations happening behind the scenes to reform the fund for future economic development projects in the state, the legislature will now wait until the fall to make additional changes.

Following these negotiations, the final budget for the Fiscal Year 2025 sits at $82.5 billion. Items of interest to MOHC include:

• A $2.5 million increase for the expansion of the Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment program, bringing this specific assessment to $4.26 million. All hearing, vision, and oral health assessments for school-aged children increased by $5 million, bringing the collective total to $11.5 million.
• Continued funding for Medicaid dental, including the $3 million allocated towards the increased rates for dental services in ambulatory surgery centers ($1,495) and outpatient hospitals ($2,300).
• Continued funding of $200,000 for Michigan’s Donated Dental Services Volunteer Dental Clinic.
• $4.3 million in new funding for a Medicaid orthodontic benefit to individuals under the age of 21 in Wayne or Kent County. Care is limited to those with primary and transitional detention with at least one specific condition listed in Section 1632.
• Continued funding of $1 million for University of Detroit Mercy’s dental clinic.

You can access all final budget materials here.

Legislative Schedule

The House and Senate ended their legislative business by adopting Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, which prescribes the legislative agenda for the summer as members will begin their in-district period. House members will be campaigning throughout the summer for the August 6 primaries. Per SCR 18, we can expect the House and Senate to return to Lansing July 30 – 31 and August 13 – 15. The legislature will return to a more normal legislative schedule beginning on September 4.

Regulatory Update

Governor Appoints Members to the Board of Dentistry

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced appointments to the Michigan Board of Dentistry, which regulates the practice of dentistry and specialty fields in the state. The appointments include:

• Cynthia McCants, who is reappointed to represent the general public for a term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring June 30, 2028.
• Dr. Melissa Keil, who is appointed to represent dentists for a term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring June 30, 2028. Melissa Keil is a MOHC Board Member and succeeds Vaijanthi Oza, whose term expired.
• Janet Kinney, who is reappointed to represent dental hygienists for a term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring June 30, 2028.
• Dr. John DeCarolis, who is appointed to represent dentists for a term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring June 30, 2024. John DeCarolis succeeds Edward Sarkisian, whose term has expired.
• Dr. Mamnoon Siddiqui, who is reappointed to represent dentists with health profession specialty certification for a term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring June 30, 2028.
• Sahar Farhat, who is appointed to represent dental hygienists for a term commencing July 1, 2024, and expiring June 20, 2028. Sahar Farhat succeeds Cheryl Bentley, whose term has expired. 

Policy Committee Update

MOHC will begin putting together its policy priorities for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 as we prepare for the new legislative session to begin in 2025 and the subsequent presentation of the Governor’s Executive Budget Recommendations.

As House members and candidates continue their campaigns throughout July ahead of the August 6 primary, we encourage members to meet the candidates running in their districts to identify oral health advocates across the state.

Please reach out to Emily Henderson at emily@mccallhamilton.com with questions.

The Michigan Dental Association Foundation proudly announced the successful completion of its latest Mission of Mercy (MoM) event in Flint, Michigan. An impressive $1,156,285.10 in donated care was provided—a 30% increase from 2018. The MoM event served 659 patients from Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and delivered 6,678 procedures.

MOHC extends heartfelt congratulations to the MDA for organizing another successful event and gratitude to the hundreds of dedicated dental professionals and volunteers whose time and talent made it possible.

Mark your calendars for the next MoM event, which is scheduled for June 11-14, 2026, at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Read more here.