§ 101530 Sonoma County Dental Funding

• •The department must send any money set aside for dental care to the Sonoma County Dental Health Authority.
• •The Authority provides dental services to Medi-Cal recipients and to low‑income (indigent) people in Sonoma County.
• •Medi-Cal patients do not pay extra fees; indigent patients may be charged a fee that matches what they can afford.

A family in Sonoma County has a child who is covered by Medi-Cal and needs a dental cleaning. The child gets the cleaning at no extra cost. Another child from a low‑income family who is not on Medi-Cal also gets a cleaning, but the Authority asks the family to pay a small amount that matches what they can afford.

The law makes sure Medi-Cal kids get free dental care, while other low‑income kids can be asked to pay a little based on their ability to pay.