Cuts to California's Denti-Cal program are expected to go into effect in July and more reductions are planned, and people with disabilities who are on Denti-Cal already have enough trouble finding dentists who even know how to care for patients with disabilities, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Dr. Paul Glassman, co-director of the Pacific Center for Special Care at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco, says "few dental schools teach students how to care for patients with disabilities. Over the last 12 years, the USC School of Dentistry has required every student to spend a week working in its Special Patients Clinic, one of the few clinics dedicated to patients with disabilities. But most dentists in private practice haven't had that kind of experience."
Also, low Denti-Cal payments for a person with a disability who is already under-employed or unemployed can mean few financial resources to pay for dental care.
A "dwindling numbers of dentists accept Denti-Cal patients because reimbursements are among the lowest in the country," according to the LA Times. "They will fall even lower under a 10% rate cut scheduled to go into effect July 1 as part of the Legislature's efforts to reduce the state budget deficit. And Denti-Cal doesn't pay extra for the additional time that goes into treating a patient with disabilities."
"You're asking dentists to do something they're not well-trained to do, that's going to take a lot of time, and they're going to be paid a third of their normal rate," Glassman said. "It's no surprise that a lot of people aren't lining up to do this kind of work."
And some dental care for people with disabilities requires hospitalization because the person requires general anesthesia to have a tooth pulled, a cavity filled or even just a cleaning. Many dentists don't have staff privileges at hospitals.
