Dear Friends,February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and United Way is proud to advocate for increased services on behalf of 100,000 children in Ventura County who qualify for Dent-Cal and do not have access to a dental home. Tooth decay affects more children in the United States than any other chronic infectious disease. And yet, it is the most preventable.
A lack of access to dental care can result in expensive emergency room visits, missed school days, and ultimately poorer academic performance and lost job opportunities. This contributes to multi-generational poverty and increased social costs for taxpayers. Our state health and social safety net programs should provide hope and opportunity for low-income children, not make life harder and perpetuate a cycle of poverty.
United Way is proud to support Assembly Bill 15 to increase Denti-Cal funding in a meaningful and responsible way. Funding would be allocated to increase reimbursement rates for the 15 most common prevention, treatment, and oral evaluation services to the national average. The bill would also increase funding for preventative care and case management services in order to achieve significant long-term cost savings, increased provider participation, and increased beneficiary utilization under the program.
Ultimately, this will help children and families receive the preventative and restorative dental care they are currently being denied. Our goal is to create long-lasting changes that prevent problems from happening in the first place. Now isn’t that something to smile about?
In service,
Eric Harrison
President & CEO
United Way of Ventura County
President & CEO
United Way of Ventura County