Medi-Cal: dental care.

This bill would make behavior management and desensitization services without an accompanying dental procedure covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program, subject to utilization controls, when a patient's physical, behavioral, developmental, or emotional condition requires significant extra time, attention, or personnel, or requires such services preceding a dental visit, respectively, in order to safely deliver dental care. The bill would condition implementation of these provisions on the availability of federal financial participation and any necessary federal approvals having been obtained. The bill would, notwithstanding any other law, authorize the department to implement, interpret, or make specific these provisions by means of all-county letters, plan letters, plan or provider bulletins, or similar instructions without taking any further regulatory action.