Latest California Healthline Stories
For Those With Developmental Disabilities, Dental Needs Are Great, Good Care Elusive
Lack of access means that people with physical and cognitive disabilities have a heavier burden of dental disease.
Doctors And Dentists Welcome Pay Hike For Treating Low-Income Patients
California is boosting rates for doctors and dentists who participate in the state’s Medi-Cal program for low-income residents. Providers say the pay raises will increase their participation in the program and improve access for patients.
State Pay Cut For Dental Hygienists Who Serve The Poor Was Illegal, Court Finds
California officials should have obtained federal approval before they cut reimbursement rates for dental hygienists who serve frail Californians living in nursing homes and board-and-care facilities, a judge has ruled.
Frail Patients Losing Access To Dental House Calls
Dental hygienists who treat frail and elderly residents in nursing homes and other facilities are dropping out of California’s publicly funded dental program for the poor because of recent changes that cut their pay and create more administrative hurdles.
Open Your Mouth And Say Goo-Goo: Dentists Treating Ever-Younger Patients
A shift in dental guidelines encourages first dental visits for infants as young as 6 months, or when the first baby teeth emerge. That makes some dentists uncomfortable.
California Lawmakers Mull Improvements To Troubled Dental Program
Denti-Cal has been criticized for not paying dentists enough to care for low-income Medicaid recipients.
California Lawmakers Aim To Pay Dentists More To Treat Poor Patients
Legislation would raise payments for Denti-Cal providers, using revenue from the state tobacco tax recently passed by California voters.
Newly Covered By Medi-Cal, Undocumented Children Also Seek Dental Care
Some dental clinics are expanding their hours to meet demand, but can an already stressed system satisfy the needs of children who haven’t seen a dentist in years?
A Talk With The Head Of California’s Troubled Dental Program
The top official at Denti-Cal, a program for low-income California residents, sat down with California Healthline to discuss what her agency is doing to address the severe shortcomings highlighted in a recent report.
Denti-Cal Is Blasted By Oversight Commission
“Thousands of toddlers have mouthfuls of cavities … People with state dental benefits deserve a government program that works.”