1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing as a family member/caregiver of a person with a disability to express my deep concern about the proposed cuts to the Medi-Cal Dental program. These reductions would have a direct and harmful impact on individuals with disabilities in our community who already face significant barriers to accessing dental care. For many families like mine, Medi-Cal dental coverage is not optional, it is essential. Individuals with physical, developmental, intellectual, and cognitive disabilities often require specialized dental providers, longer appointment times, sedation services, or adaptive equipment. Access to this level of care is already severely limited, and further reductions in reimbursement rates will only make it more difficult for providers to continue serving this population. If these cuts go into effect, we are concerned that: - More providers may stop accepting Medi-Cal patients - Wait times for specialty care will increase significantly - Clinics serving individuals with disabilities may be forced to scale back or close - Families will face increased financial and emotional stress When individuals with disabilities lose access to preventive and specialty dental services, the consequences extend beyond oral health. Untreated dental issues can lead to infections, hospitalizations, pain, nutritional problems, and reduced quality of life. These proposed reductions undermine years of progress in expanding access to care for individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable communities. I respectfully urge you to oppose reductions to the Medi-Cal Dental program and to protect funding that ensures individuals with disabilities can receive the safe, specialized, and compassionate care they deserve.