Assemblymember Matt Haney (D- San Francisco) joins dentists and patient advocates to call on California to stop Medi-Cal Dental cuts and end insurance practices that force patients to pay upfront for care.
SACRAMENTO, CA — Assemblymember Matt Haney, along with dentists and patient advocates, urged state leaders today to protect access to dental care by stopping planned cuts to Medi-Cal Dental and supporting AB 1629, a bill that would reduce the upfront costs patients often face when using their dental insurance. Recent state budget decisions would cut about $311 million in dental funding starting in 2026, and additional payments that help dentists serve Medi-Cal patients are set to end on July 1, 2026.
California voters passed Proposition 56 in 2016 to strengthen health care funding in Medi-Cal. A 2023 review by the Department of Health Care Services found that it helped more adults access dental care, including more annual visits and more preventive care such as cleanings and checkups.
“California has spent years trying to rebuild dental access, and we should not turn around and make it harder for people to get care,” Haney said. “Families who rely on Medi-Cal should not lose ground, and families who pay for private dental coverage should not be forced to act like a bank for their insurance company just to see a dentist. If you pay for coverage, you should be able to use it.”
AB 1629 would make it easier for patients to use their dental coverage. The bill would require insurance companies to pay dentists directly – even if the dentist is not in their network – when a patient signs a form allowing that payment. It would also require clearer information for patients about their coverage and direct state regulators to review whether dental provider networks have enough dentists to meet patient needs.
“With the health care system facing enormous threats and challenges, this is a time California should be showing leadership in protecting health care access for our most vulnerable. We must not abandon them,” said Dr. Robert Hanlon, President of the California Dental Association. “The California Dental Association is proud to be partnering with Assemblymember Haney and the Save Our Dental Care coalition members to stand up and say dental care is essential, not an optional ‘nice-to-have.’”
Starting July 1, 2026, some adults on Medi-Cal who do not qualify for full federal coverage will lose access to routine dental services and will only be covered for emergency care. This change, combined with the loss of additional payments to providers, could make it harder for patients to find a dentist and get timely care.
“Dental care is health care,” Haney said. “California cannot say it is expanding access while allowing dental coverage to become harder to use and harder to find. We need to protect the progress we have made and put patients first.”
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