3702.91 Letter of intent - contract.

(A) An individual who has signed a letter of intent under section 3702.90 of the Revised Code may enter into a contract with the director of health for participation in the dentist loan repayment program. A lending institution may also be a party to the contract.

(B) The contract shall include all of the following obligations:

(1) The individual agrees to provide dental services in the dental health resource shortage area identified in the letter of intent for at least one year.

(2) When providing dental services in the dental health resource shortage area, the individual agrees to do all of the following:

(a) Provide dental services for a minimum of forty hours per week;

(b) Provide dental services without regard to a patient’s ability to pay;

(c) Meet the conditions prescribed by the “Social Security Act,” 49 Stat. 620 (1935), 42 U.S.C. 301, as amended, and the department of job and family services for participation in the medicaid program established under Chapter 5111. of the Revised Code and enter into a contract with the department to provide dental services to medicaid recipients.

(3) The department of health agrees, as provided in section 3702.85 of the Revised Code, to repay, so long as the individual performs the service obligation agreed to under division (B)(1) of this section, all or part of the principal and interest of a government or other educational loan taken by the individual for expenses described in section 3702.85 of the Revised Code up to but not exceeding twenty thousand dollars per year of service.

(4) The individual agrees to pay the department of health the following as damages if the individual fails to complete the service obligation agreed to under division (B)(1) of this section:

(a) If the failure occurs during the first two years of the service obligation, three times the total amount the department has agreed to repay under division (B)(3) of this section;

(b) If the failure occurs after the first two years of the service obligation, three times the amount the department is still obligated to repay under division (B)(3) of this section.

(C) The contract may include any other terms agreed upon by the parties, including an assignment to the department of health of the individual’s duty to pay the principal and interest of a government or other educational loan taken by the individual for expenses described in section 3702.85 of the Revised Code. If the department assumes the individual’s duty to pay a loan, the contract shall set forth the total amount of principal and interest to be paid, an amortization schedule, and the amount of each payment to be made under the schedule.

(D) Not later than the thirty-first day of January of each year, the department of health shall mail to each individual to whom or on whose behalf repayment is made under the dentist loan repayment program a statement showing the amount of principal and interest repaid by the department pursuant to the contract in the preceding year. The statement shall be sent by ordinary mail with address correction and forwarding requested in the manner prescribed by the United States postal service.

Effective Date: 10-29-2003; 2008 HB562 06-24-2008