Denti-Cal Is Stuck In Limbo And ‘Close To Useless,’ Critics Say
The addition of millions of new patients under the Affordable Care Act only served to exacerbate already existing problems with program.
Center for Health Reporting:
California's Denti-Cal Program Fails To Provide Needed Benefits
Low-income seniors with Denti-Cal are losing teeth, suffering infections and accruing thousands of dollars of debt to pay for an array of treatments not covered by the state-funded dental insurance for the poor. In truth, these seniors are lucky to have any coverage. Medicare – the federal insurance program for seniors – does not cover dental care. Dental benefits for many adults on Medi-Cal, which provides health coverage for low-income Californians, disappeared completely for five years, between 2009 and 2014. (Wiener, 6/8)
In other news —
The Bakersfield Californian:
Valley Congressmen Introduce Bill To Recruit And Retain Doctors
Central Valley Congressmen David Valadao of Hanford and Jeff Denham of Turlock have introduced legislation to fix flaws in California's Medicaid reimbursement system to encourage doctors to practice here, it was announced this week. The Assessing Critical Care Efforts to Strengthen Services (ACCESS) Act would create a demonstration project to improve payment models, a news release said. (6/7)