Tag: Medi-Cal Dental

CalMatters Commentary Sounds Alarm on Medi-Cal Dental Care Cuts

A new commentary was published today in CalMatters by longtime parent-advocate Pat Hornbecker raising urgent concerns about proposed cuts to Medi-Cal Dental and what they would mean for millions of Californians.

Pat, who is the President of The Arc of California Board of Directors, draws from decades of advocacy and personal experience as a parent to highlight how the reduced funding could further limit access to care at a time when patients are already facing long wait times and a shrinking network of providers.

With more than 15 million Californians relying on Medi-Cal Dental, including people with disabilities, seniors, children, and low-income families, the stakes could not be higher.

TAKE ACTION:

Now is the time to get involved!

Act Now to Stop $1 Billion in Cuts to Medi-Cal Dental

In this week’s Arc Beacon, Julie Schurman, Director of Public Policy for The Arc & UCP California Collaboration, breaks down a deeply troubling proposal in the Governor’s January budget: a $1 billion cut to Medi-Cal Dental beginning July 1, 2026.

Medi-Cal Dental—also known as Denti-Cal—provides exams, cleanings, fillings, X-rays, and specialty care to eligible 15 million children and adults across California. For many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it is the only way to access dental care.

If these cuts move forward, dentist reimbursement rates would be slashed by 40% to 80%. According to the California Dental Association, roughly half of surveyed providers say they would stop accepting Medi-Cal patients or significantly reduce services under those reductions.

Let’s be clear about what that means: longer waitlists, fewer providers, and even more barriers to care for people who already struggle to find a dentist who accepts Medi-Cal Dental.

Members of the Legislature have an opportunity to push back on the Governor’s proposal before the May Revise. But they need to hear from our community NOW!

Here’s how to take action:

It takes just a few minutes to send a message—but it could protect critical dental care for hundreds of thousands of Californians.

Please take 6 minutes to watch the video, understand what’s at stake, and then use your voice.

California’s disability community cannot afford to lose access to essential dental care. To learn more and get involved, visit SaveOurDentalCare.org

Let’s act before it’s too late.

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