Another hit to the children of California, as they are moved from Healthy Families to Medi-cal. In addition to finding fewer medical providers, many are finding that even fewer dentists are accepting patients. With the cost of dental care often exceeding basic medical procedures, many parents are worried about keeping their children’s dental health as a priority. Implementing and maintain healthy dental habits from an early age is vital, as lessons learned will continue into their adulthood. Not only is dental care necessary for cosmetic reasons, it also is the first line of defense for other health conditions. Medical reports show that those who brush less often are at 70% higher risk for heart disease, making the call for better children’s health care even more important.
Per CaliforniaHealthLine, steps should be taken now to ensure children do not pay the price for monetary cuts:
- Ease enrollment processes for Medi-Cal dental programs;
- Expand the roles of dental hygienists and dental assistants so they can provide care in regions with fewer dentists;
- Improve efforts to educate families about the availability of dental benefits; and
- Raise Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for dentists
