SECTION 310:526-3-3. Eligibility to participate in the Program  


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  • (a)   Eligibility requirements common to both non-faculty and faculty participants. Eligibility for repayment assistance for non-faculty and faculty participants requires compliance with the following requirements:
    (1)   receipt or award of a dental degree from an accredited United States dental school within the previous five (5) years;
    (2)   completion of all requirements to receive or be awarded an active unrestricted license to practice dentistry in the State of Oklahoma at the time the service obligation begins; and,
    (3)   a financial need with outstanding eligible dental school loans.
    (b)   Additional eligibility requirements for non-faculty participants. Eligibility for repayment assistance for non-faculty participants requires compliance with the following additional requirements:
    (1)   an established general or pediatric dental practice, or the commitment to establish such a practice, located in an Oklahoma DHPSA with the exception that any dentist licensed to practice as a pediatric dentistry specialist as defined by the State Dental Act or any dentist practicing in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), FQHC look-alike, county health department, or city-county health department may be exempt from the requirement to practice in a DHPSA;
    (2)   fulfillment of all applicable requirements of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to qualify as a Medicaid Dental Provider at the time the service obligation begins; and,
    (3)   agree that during the service obligation/contract period, a minimum 30% of patient visits are by Medicaid recipients.
    (c)   Additional eligibility requirements for faculty participants. Eligibility for repayment assistance for faculty participants requires compliance with the additional requirement of abiding by the rules and regulations for a faculty member, and the job duties assigned by the Dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
    (d)   Limitations upon eligibility common to both non-faculty and faculty participants. A non-faculty or faculty participant's eligibility may be rescinded or terminated if any of the following conditions occur:
    (1)   a breach of an obligation for service to a federal, state, or local government entity;
    (2)   an obligation for service to a federal, state, or local government entity that will interfere with the fulfillment of the requirements of the Program that remains unsatisfied; or,
    (3)   default or material breach of an agreement to repay a higher education loan or borrowing agreement.
    (e)   Additional considerations.
    (1)   Preference will be given to graduates of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
    (2)   Preference will be given to eligible practice sites that are not Medicaid/SoonerCare specific.
    (3)   Geographic diversity of the participants is an objective of the Program.
    (4)   An eligible practice site is a solo, group, or incorporated private practice, and any federal, state, local, or private for-profit or nonprofit dental facility.
    (5)   To qualify for the 30% minimum Medicaid recipient requirement the participant must use a count of patient visits during the service obligation. The 30% requirement will be monitored monthly, but the participant will be deemed to be compliant if the yearly average is 30% or greater.
    (f)   Eligible loans. Loans eligible for repayment assistance are any loans for educational expenses while attending dental school from a college, university, government, commercial source, or an organization, institution, association, society, or corporation that is exempt from taxation under 501(c)(3) or (4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The ODLRP participant must be able to provide, upon request, documentation that commercial loans were used for payment of educational expenses.
[Source: Added at 24 Ok Reg 203, eff 11-1-06 (emergency); Added at 24 Ok Reg 1983, eff 6-25-07; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 1151, eff 5-25-08; Amended at 27 Ok Reg 2524, eff 7-25-10; Amended at 31 Ok Reg 1590, eff 9-12-14; Amended at 32 Ok Reg 1790, eff 9-11-15]