Wendy Lazarus Response to the Governor’s Budget

After years of cuts to children’s services, it is heartening to see that children and health care are now part of the State’s investment portfolio. However, the Governor has short-changed children’s health by failing to take needed steps to bolster the health care system that serves them.

For example, forgiving prior doctor and dentist rate cuts will hopefully help stabilize provider networks so they are ready to meet the new demands of increased health coverage for children and families. However, on this matter, the Governor has not gone far enough. California must also establish adequate provider rates going forward in order to attract and retain a sufficient network of doctors and dentists to provide care to the millions of Californians now eligible for coverage. It isn’t enough to hand people an insurance card – they have to be able to find and see doctors and dentists.

Because tooth decay ranks as the most common chronic disease and unmet health care need of children in California, the Governor has also taken an important step by budgeting $17.5 million for dental education outreach to improve outreach to families about the importance of early dental care for children.

These are valuable first steps that we hope set the stage for ongoing discussion and a renewed focus on the health and well-being of our children.

###