The California Legislature approved a state budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year that upholds the will of the voters when they passed the Proposition 56 tobacco tax in 2016. The budget makes significant investments in Medi-Cal Dental improvements, workforce development and coronavirus relief. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised 2021-22 state budget proposal includes major opportunities for dental practices and oral health care programs in California. The proposal provides additional relief for small businesses impacted by COVID-19 plus new funding for dental workforce development and Medi-Cal Dental Program improvements.

Dentists and other small-business owners suffering ongoing pandemic hardship in California can receive immediate relief through a $7.6 billion legislative package signed into law yesterday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Eligible dentists and dental students in California can apply online by Feb. 26 for a student loan repayment of up to $300,000 or a practice support grant — also up to $300,000 — through the Medi-Cal Physicians and Dentists Loan Repayment Program known as CalHealthCares.

In addition to funding California’s COVID-19 recovery and vaccination efforts and proposing several billion dollars to tackle homelessness and help schools reopen, the state budget proposal released Jan. 8 supports improvements in oral health care delivery and access to dental services.

Dental providers who receive incentive payments through the Medi-Cal Dental Transformation Initiative can continue participation for one more year. The five-year pilot program was set to expire at the end of 2020, but due to the pandemic the DHCS requested the extension from the federal government.

Dentists with a tax identification number now have until Sept. 13 to apply for funding through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal.

Dentists now have until Sept. 13 to apply for financial assistance through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal. Read the CDA article published Aug. 27 for the latest information.

Dentists who provide care for Medicaid patients (known as Medi-Cal in California) may be eligible to receive financial relief from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Provider Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.