REP Watch

as multiple developments have come online over the past few years, from commercial to residential units in downtown San Pedro and the LA Waterfront. This resurgence has spurred local and visitor traffic, leading to greater demand for parking.

McOsker specifically identified the development that is about to be raised at the former San Pedro courthouse into a high-rise apartment building, which eliminated a surface parking lot, at a loss of 80 spaces that served customers of the nearby shops and restaurants.

Barragán and Cardin Call for Medicare to Cover Dental Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On March 6, Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) reintroduced legislation that would extend comprehensive dental health benefits to all adults who rely on Medicaid, replacing the current state-by-state system and providing mandatory dental coverage to all of the nearly 48 million adults currently on Medicaid.

The congresswoman noted that dental care should not be a luxury and that adding mandatory adult dental coverage to Medicaid will make it accessible for millions of low-income individuals across the country and allow them to get the care they need, regardless of where they live.

“Dental health is critical to overall health,” she said. “Expanding dental coverage to all adults who rely on Medicaid is vital to reducing health disparities.”

Poor oral health can make chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke more difficult and expensive to manage. Among adults facing cost barriers to dental care, racial disparities have widened in the last decade and barriers to accessing dental care are among the most overlooked examples of health disparities. Adults with low incomes; Black, Hispanic, and other people of color; tribal communities; people with disabilities; and those in rural America face the steepest barriers to accessing high-quality and affordable dental services. This kind of healthcare barrier has forced nearly twice as many Black and Latino American adults to suffer from untreated cavities than white adults.

The Medicaid Dental Benefits Act would require state Medicaid programs to provide mandatory adult dental and oral health services. At a minimum, this bill would require state Medicaid programs to provide coverage to prevent and treat disease, promote oral health, restore oral structures to health and function, reduce pain, and treat emergency conditions. This coverage would include: routine diagnostic and preventive care including but not limited to dental cleanings, exams, prophylaxis, fluoride treatments, X-rays and other necessary services; basic dental services such as fillings and extractions and major dental services such as root canals, crowns, restorations and both complete and partial dentures including adjustments, repairs and relines; emergency dental care; Temporomandibular (TMD) and orofacial pain disorder treatment; other necessary services related to dental and oral health (as defined by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services).