Orange, Calif.-based Western Dental is urging California legislators to protect Medi-Cal dental funding in the state’s 2026-2027 budget.
Five notes:
1. Proposition 56, passed in 2016, directs revenue from a tobacco tax to increase access to care for individuals who qualify for dental services through Medi-Cal.
2. Gov. Gavin Newsom previously proposed cutting Proposition 56 funding and redirecting the funds to address that state’s $12 million budget deficit.
3. The state legislature rejected the proposal, delaying any cuts until July 1, 2026.
4. Before the legislature rejected the proposal, Western Dental said it could be forced to close up to 50 of its practice locations if the cuts advanced.
5. Western Dental said Dec. 11 that Proposition 56 has created a more equitable healthcare system and made oral health more accessible across the state.
“We recognize that there are tough budget decisions ahead, but protecting access to some of the most important healthcare should be fundamental,” Peter Truong, DDS, Western Dental’s chief dental officer, said in a news release. “Cutting access to essential care shouldn’t have been on the table this year, and it shouldn’t be on the table next year.”
