A coalition of more than 50 organizations is calling for legislators to protect Medicaid dental funding.
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 proposed cutting Proposition 56 funding and redirecting the funds to address that state’s $12 million budget deficit, but the state legislature rejected the proposal, delaying any cuts until July 1.
3. The Coalition to Save Our Dental Care said Jan. 7 that the cuts would lead to the elimination of one third of funding for the Medi-Cal Dental program.
4. The cuts would also lead the state to drop to the 48th lowest Medicaid dental reimbursement rates for children in the U.S., according to a news release from the coalition.
5. The coalition includes dental and medical organizations and practices, including the California Dental Association, Western Dental, the California Medical Association, the California Primary Care Association and the California Association of Dental Plans.
