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Podcasts Take Two
Restoration of Medi-Cal dental coverage comes too late for many
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Feb 3, 2014
Listen • 4:46
Restoration of Medi-Cal dental coverage comes too late for many
The Affordable Care Act has expanded medical coverage for people of all ages, but dental coverage is a different story.
Five of Miriam Martinez's molars have had to be extracted because of decay. "If I'd had dental insurance, I'd still have my teeth," the 52-year-old said.
Five of Miriam Martinez's molars have had to be extracted because of decay. "If I'd had dental insurance, I'd still have my teeth," the 52-year-old said.
(
Adrian Florido
)
Five of Miriam Martinez's molars have had to be extracted because of decay. "If I'd had dental insurance, I'd still have my teeth," the 52-year-old said.
Five of Miriam Martinez's molars have had to be extracted because of decay. "If I'd had dental insurance, I'd still have my teeth," the 52-year-old said.
(
Adrian Florido
)

The Affordable Care Act has expanded medical coverage for people of all ages, but dental coverage is a different story.

The Affordable Care Act has expanded medical coverage for people of all ages, but dental coverage is a different story.

The federal law requires it be made available only to children. That means in California, millions of adults — many of them poor — do not have dental care. That'll change in May when the state restores a low-income dental program it cut a few years ago.

But KPCC's Adrian Florido reports dentists say a lot of damage has been done in the meantime.