Dental
This page tracks California legislation impacting dental services at Urban Indian clinics. This tracker is updated regularly and provides links to the California Legislative Information website for additional resources.
Click here to view an recently chaptered bills.
AB 1051: Assembly member Maienschein (District 77)
Denti-Cal program
Summary: This bill would require the State Department of Health Care Services to increase Denti-Cal provider reimbursement rates for the 15 most common prevention, treatment, and oral evaluation services to the regional average commercial rates.
Last Action: 08/02/2016 Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Committee on Appropriations.
For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here
SB 1039: Senator Hill (District 13)
Professions and vocations
Summary: The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation that would establish a Dental Corps Scholarship Program, as specified, to increase the supply of dentists serving in medically underserved areas.
Last Action: 08/02/2016 Re-referred to Committee on Appropriations
For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here
AB 2207: Assemblymember Ridley-Thomas (District 54)
Health care: patient access
Summary: The goal of the Office of Patient Advocate, within the California Health and Human Services Agency is to coordinate amongst, provide assistance to, and collect data from, all of the state agency consumer assistance or patient assistance programs and call centers, to better enable health care consumers to access the health care services to which they are eligible under the law, including, but not limited to, commercial and exchange coverage, Medi-Cal, Medicare, and federal veterans health benefits. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to require a study regarding the problems confronted by patients in accessing health care in California.
Last Action: 8/31/2016 Enrolled and presented to the Governor
For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here
AB 648: Assembly member Low (District 28)
Community-based services: Virtual Dental Home program
Summary: The State Department of Public Health administers the Office of Oral Health, in which the state oral health organization oversees the Virtual Dental Home (VDH) program. This program enables the delivery of community dental disease prevention programs for school-aged children in areas of highest need. This bill would require the administrator of the Office of Oral Health to implement a VDH grant program. The grant would expand the VHD model by supporting the development of training modules and the establishment of community-based learning collaboratives.
Altogether, the bill would promote access to preventative and diagnostic dental services by reaching more children. According to the author, dental health is essential to childhood development. As such, this bill would help prevent common chronic diseases and unmet health care needs such as tooth decay for low-income and disabled populations.
The bill would appropriate $4,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Public Health for the VDH program. The grant would be administered by the dentist appointed as the head of the Oral Health Unit, who might choose to develop and fund other preventative care programs.
Last Action: 08/02/2016 Ordered for a third reading
For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site click here
SB 642: Senator Nguyen
Geographic Managed Care: Dental
Summary: Existing law authorizes the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to provide managed health care plan services to Medi-Cal recipients residing in clearly defined geographic areas. Additionally, the Medi-Cal program includes a schedule of benefits which includes certain dental services. Existing law authorizes Sacramento County to establish an advisory committee that meets on its own and is required to periodically convene with DHCS to discuss the delivery of oral health and dental care services. This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to the latter provision.
Last Action:02/01/2016 Returned to Secretary of Senate
For more information on this bill please check the Official California Legislative Information site here
