Medi-Cal dental coverage is at risk – we need this essential health care for California families

Dental services for 30,000 under-resourced adults, kids and seniors are at risk in our community. The federal government is threatening to cut Medicaid benefits – which includes offering affordable dental care to low-income people – to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

These cuts would affect 10 million people statewide, all of whom rely on Medicaid benefits (known as Medi-Cal in California). The proposed cuts are shortsighted and fail to recognize the long-term human impact of having strong teeth and gums and living full, pain-free lives. They also don’t recognize the broader wellness and economic stability dental health brings.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), 4,500 jobs and over half a billion dollars in economic activity disappeared in 2009, when California temporarily eliminated dental benefits for adults (ADA Research Brief, 2025).

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