L.A. County Health Plans Extend Dental Coverage for Medi-Cal Enrollees
Two major health plans in Los Angeles County have taken steps to provide dental care for members enrolled in Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, Payers & Providers reports.
During last year's budget negotiations, state lawmakers eliminated coverage for adult Denti-Cal, the dental benefit provided through Medi-Cal.
L.A. Care Health Plan
In response, L.A. Care Health Plan began offering dental benefits to members enrolled in a small health plan for members dually eligible for Medi-Cal and Medicare.
L.A. Care also granted more than $700,000 to help 10 community clinics provide dental care for its approximately 200,000 adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
The health plan said it is working with the California Department of Health Care Services to determine whether L.A. Care eventually could extend dental coverage to its adult Medi-Cal members.
Health Net
Health Net followed in L.A. Care's footsteps this week when it announced plans to offer dental coverage for adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries through its commercial dental plan.
Health Net's dental coverage extension will affect about 70,000 adult Medi-Cal beneficiaries in Los Angeles County. Health Net also has extended dental benefits to its approximately 10,000 adult Medi-Cal members in Sacramento County (Payers & Providers, 1/28). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.