Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 805

Short Title: Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Adcock, Burgin, and Corbin (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 22, 2026
*S805-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE T HE MEDICAID REIMBURS EMENT RATE FOR DENTA L 2
SERVICES. 3
Whereas, access to oral health care is a critical component of overall health; and 4
Whereas, thousands of North Carolinians, especially those insured through Medicaid, 5
face significant barriers to dental care; and 6
Whereas, a major contributing factor to the barriers to dental care is the low 7
participation rate among dental providers in the Medicaid program due to the State's insufficient 8
Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services; and 9
Whereas, North Carolina's dental Medicaid reimbursement rates have not seen a 10
meaningful increase since 2008; and 11
Whereas, as a result, many dental providers opt out of the Medicaid program or stop 12
accepting Medicaid patients, which results in patients utilizing hospital emergency departments 13
for urgent dental needs; and 14
Whereas, raising the Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental services would 15
incentivize dental providers currently participating in the Medicaid program, enco urage more 16
dental providers to enroll in the Medicaid program, expand access to preventive care, and reduce 17
costly emergency department visits; and 18
Whereas, an adequate network of Medicaid dental providers throughout the State is a 19
requirement of the Medicaid program; and 20
Whereas, while safety net dental providers provide the majority of oral health services 21
under the NC Medicaid program, they do not have the capacity, geographic distribution, or 22
financial ability to provide all of the necessary care; and 23
Whereas, a robust contingent of private practicing dentists must participate in the 24
Medicaid program to ensure an adequate network of providers to serve the NC Medicaid 25
beneficiaries; Now, therefore, 26
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 27
SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 28
Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits (DHB), the sum of eighty million 29
dollars ($80,000,000) in recurring funds and associated receipts beginning in the 2026 -2027 30
fiscal year to be used to increase the Medicaid rate paid for dental services. 31
SECTION 2. This act is effective July 1, 2026. 32