Fight the loss of Medi-Cal benefits

The recent passage of the state budget resulted in the loss of Medi-Cal “optional benefits” effective July 1, a $129.4 million spending cut designed to reduce California’s budget deficit.
“Optional benefits” include adult dental benefits, optometry, opticians and optical labs, audiology, podiatry, speech therapy, psychology services, chiropractic care and acupuncture.
The loss of dental coverage for adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries is an especially big blow. In Santa Cruz County, the major providers of Medi-Cal dental services are Salud Para La Gente and Dientes Community Dental Care.
Salud provides comprehensive primary care, including medical, dental, optometric and elder day care to the medically uninsured and underserved populations in the area, primarily in Santa Cruz County and northern Monterey County. Dientes focuses exclusively on providing comprehensive, high-quality dental care for the uninsured and publicly insured individuals living in and around Santa Cruz County, with services that include endodontics (root canal treatment) and pediatric dentistry.
Together, Dientes and Salud saw more than 41,700 dental patients in 2008.
The Health Improvement Partnership, a countywide collaborative of leading public and private health care organizations and providers, joins with Dientes and Salud in opposing cuts to Medi-Cal dental benefits. HIP members recognize that dental disease is linked to a higher risk for pre-term births, heart disease, stroke and diabetes — and as such, dental care cannot be considered merely “optional.”
Without Medi-Cal reimbursement, Dientes and Salud will be unable to provide dental care to vulnerable Californians who have nowhere to turn without Medi-Cal. The loss of Medi-Cal optional benefits will likely impact more than 20,000 adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries in Santa Cruz County alone, and some 2.8 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries statewide.
The elimination of Medi-Cal dental coverage impacts the elderly, the disabled, low-income workers and unemployed families, all of whom are anxious about where to receive care.
Without Medi-Cal adult dental benefits, patients will not receive needed care from their dentists and oral health problems will become even worse. Patients will seek treatment for relief of infection and pain in hospital emergency rooms, which do not have the capacity to provide dental care.
But costs will rise. And provider organizations will lay off dentists, dental assistants and office and support staff. The ripple effect of losing these “optional” benefits will be widespread, long-lasting and devastating.
On May 19, 2009, Californians will vote on six ballot propositions designed to increase state revenue and avoid an even deeper deficit and more budget cuts. Estimates are that if all propositions pass, the budget deficit will be “reduced” to $8 billion — if the propositions fail, the deficit will be $14 billion. The Democratic caucus recently determined that if all propositions pass, it would be possible to restore Medi-Cal optional benefits.
The California Dental Association and community health centers sought legislative remedies. Absent a resolution, the California Primary Care Association filed a lawsuit in Superior Court to stop the July 1 elimination of Medi-Cal optional benefits.
Please join us in contacting the governor and local legislators, urging them to restore Medi-Cal optional benefits.
Contact Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver at 916-445-2841; state Sens. Joe Simitian at 425-0401, and Abel Maldonado at 657-6315; Assembly members Bill Monning at 425-1503, and Anna Caballero at 759-8676.
Will Hahn is executive director of Dientes, and Sara Clarenbach is Salud Para La Gente’s director of advocacy, community engagement and media relations.