Sacramento, Calif. — The California Dental Association issued the following statement today on the state legislature’s budget agreement.
The proposed legislative agreement delays Governor Newsom’s proposal to eliminate Proposition 56 funding for Medi-Cal Dental services and dental coverage for undocumented adults until July 1, 2027, while accepting the governor’s diversion of Proposition 35 funding.
CDA very much appreciates the legislature rejecting the governor’s proposal to immediately eliminate Proposition 56 dental funding and coverage for undocumented adults. Such a move would have eliminated access to dental care for millions of Medi-Cal patients. These are difficult, uncertain times, and lawmakers face challenging decisions when prioritizing necessary spending reductions while protecting vulnerable Californians. We thank the legislature for their efforts to avoid Medi-Cal Dental cuts.
Lawmakers must also be mindful that delaying these cuts to 2027, rather than rejecting them, continues to leave patients and providers very much in limbo and without reassurance about the future of the Medi-Cal Dental program. Proposition 56 funds amount to one-third of all Medi-Cal Dental funding, and the intent of the measure, as approved by voters in 2016, remains the same.
Source: CDA Statement on Legislature’s Budget Agreement / cda.org