Finding Dental Care in California: A Snapshot of Using the State’s Website to Find a Medi-Cal Dentist for Children

Finding Dental Care in California: A Snapshot of Using the State’s Website to Find a Medi-Cal Dentist for Children

This issue brief summarizes findings from a study that illustrates the difficulty parents of children enrolled in Medi-Cal often experience in accessing dental care for their children. The study mimicked the online process that parents can use to try to find a dentist who treats Medi-Cal patients and found the experience often exasperating.

Specifically, it looks at the accuracy and reliability of the State’s online resource—the national InsureKidsNow.gov website—for identifying dentists who treat children enrolled in Medi-Cal, and assesses families’ experiences when calling identified dentists.