FOLLOWING PUBLIC POLICY
IS IMPORTANT FOR DENTISTS
EDITOR’S CORNER
By Sonia Molina, DMD
Highly-regulated professions like
dentistry must constantly adapt to the
politics of different legislatures. This is
especially true for the California State
Legislature and dentistry. By following
policy changes that affect dentistry, you
can anticipate changes in the delivery of
care and adapt your dental practice to
new patient populations.
The California Dental Association
(CDA) informs licensed dentists and the
public of its positions regarding different
legislative policies. Because Congress
has failed to repeal the Affordable Care
Act, the legislature is still receiving
federal funds for Covered California and
the Medi-Cal expansion. These
increased funds created new healthcare
programs or reinstated previously
terminated programs, and thus increased
access to care to people who otherwise
would be unable to afford it.
One consequence of increased funding
was the passage of Senate Bill 97, which
introduced several new healthcare
services, including the restoration of full
adult dental and optical benefits. As of
January 1, 2018, Medi-Cal recipients
ages 21 and over can now and
indefinitely access the full range of
dental services listed on the California
Department of Healthcare Services
(DHCS) website.
Dental plans were eliminated from
Medi-Cal in 2009 due to recession, so
many current and future Medi-Cal
“Increased funds
from the federal
government has
resulted in what
some dental leaders
and public policy
professionals call
the dental safety
net...”
recipients may be unaware that they can
also access dental care at no additional
cost. Accepting Medi-Cal could be an
effective way to serve and build
relationships with new patients. The
DHCS website maintains a list of
practices that accept Medi-Cal. Consult
the department’s website if you would
like to add your practice to its list.
In addition, dental practices are still
eligible to receive reimbursements from
the State of California for providing
dental care services. The passage of
Proposition 56, the Tobacco Tax
Increase, in 2016 made $30 million in
annual funds available to pay these
reimbursements. These funds are
generated from increased excise taxes,
taxes that are already included in the sale
of a product. The deadline for dental
practices to receive these payments has
been extended to June 30, 2019.
Increased funds from the federal
government has resulted in what some
dental leaders and public policy
professionals call the dental safety net, a
network of low-cost dental services for
qualifying patients. Qualifying patients
usually come from low-income
households and/or communities of color.
If you would like to continue staying
informed of policy changes that affect
dentistry, visit the Advocacy pages of the
California Dental Association and
American Dental Association websites.
The Dental Board of California sends
out an e-newsletter that covers updates
to government regulations of dentistry
to which you can subscribe. If you
would like further resources for
understanding policy changes, the CDA
publishes a guide for navigating the
California Dental Practice Act and
offers Practice Support to help the
profession comply with changes in
government regulations, laws, and
policies. 䡲
Los Angeles Dental Society Explorer