The Hands Off Kids Health coalition recently delivered more than 6,000 petitions urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to protect Medi-Cal dental funding, Spectrum 1 News reported March 9.
Four notes:
1. The state has proposed $362 million in dental funding cuts, including $144 million in cuts for the state Medicaid program.
2. The proposed cuts aim to balance the state’s budget, which is facing a deficit between $2.9 and $18 billion.
3. The Hands Off Kids Health coalition includes several organizations and practices, including Smile American Partners, the California Farmworker Foundation and Altura Centers for Health.
4. Nearly 50% of Medi-Cal dentists said they would drop the program if the proposed cuts go into effect, according to a recent survey from the California Dental Association.