“The consequences of inaction are severe, but so are the opportunities for meaningful change. That’s why the work we do here matters—because when we invest in oral health, we invest in a healthier, more prosperous North Carolina.”
— Representative Maria Cervania
NCOHC joined fellow programs at the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation for our annual legislative breakfast on February 18, 2025. Alongside the North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA) and the Center of Excellence for Integrated Care (COE), we unveiled and advocated for a robust slate of policy priorities for the 2025-2026 legislative session.
A standing-room-only crowd of more than 120 elected officials, health professionals, and advocates from across North Carolina joined us to hear from state legislators and health experts, network, and find opportunities to work together for a healthier future.
Speaking to rural health priorities, Representative Timothy Reeder and North Carolina Healthcare Association President & CEO Josh Dobson shared their thoughts on topics ranging from prior authorization to the state of health under the current federal administration.
On the topic of behavioral health, doctors, Alexandra Cupito and Lauren Hanley spoke about COE’s primary policy objective—providing mental health well checks for youth in North Carolina—and shared personal experiences trying to provide, and be reimbursed for, preventive mental health services.
For more on NCRHA and COE’s priorities and legislative breakfast speakers, check out FHLI’s recap post.
Oral Health: A Human Right and Priority for Overall Well-Being
Representative Maria Cervania, an epidemiologist and biostatistician, took to the podium to speak to NCOHC’s slate of policy priorities, focusing significant attention on the recently filed House Bill 60, which would increase Medicaid dental reimbursement rates if passed into law.
“This bill focuses on appropriations and budgeting for dental services, aiming to enhance funding for oral health programs within the state’s Department of Health and Human Services,” said Rep. Cervania. “It is not a perfect bill, though it is a step in a positive direction.”
Rep. Cervania also spoke to the importance of advocacy from all corners of North Carolina. She said that everyone has a role to play in turning advocacy into action. If communities work together, she continued, they can change policies to expand access to care, invest in education and workforce development, and strengthen collaboration between providers and communities to provide more holistic care.
“At the end of the day, oral health is not just about smiles–it is about dignity, opportunity, and justice,” she said.
NCOHC’s 2025 Policy Agenda
This year, NCOHC is advocating for:
- Codifying revisions to General Statute 90-233 to allow for alignment of dental rules 16W and 16Z
Dental rules 16W, regulating public health hygienists, and 16Z, regulating limited supervision hygienists, conflict and create inefficiencies in practice. By updating General Statute 90-233 and establishing regulations to support it, we can create efficiencies and better allow hygienists in public health and limited supervision settings to care for North Carolinians. - Increasing North Carolina Medicaid dental reimbursement rates
With low reimbursement rates, which haven’t seen a meaningful increase since 2008, North Carolina’s safety net is weakened, creating gaps in care that can lead to dental disease and costly surgical procedures. By modernizing reimbursement rates, the North Carolina Legislature can help retain and strengthen the safety net, providing more preventive, cost-effective care. - Beginning to reimburse for necessary school-based dental examinations
NC Medicaid reimburses dental providers for limited oral evaluations through teledentistry, but it currently does not reimburse for periodic oral evaluations, negatively impacting the sustainability of school-based programs. By reimbursing for teledental periodic oral evaluations, safety net providers can more effectively and affordably provide care in non-traditional settings like schools and elder care facilities. - Collecting data to inform workforce development needs
Dental workforce data, especially for hygienists and assistants, is limited in North Carolina. By collecting data to illuminate a detailed view of the dental provider landscape through the licensure renewal process, North Carolina can better understand and prepare for its future workforce needs.
Already in the 2025-2026 legislative session, a bipartisan slate of legislators have filed House Bill 60, which would provide the first meaningful increase in Medicaid dental reimbursement rates since 2008.
This legislation is vital and would accomplish NCOHC’s primary legislative objective this session. Oral health providers across North Carolina are in desperate need of an increase to Medicaid reimbursement rates. At NCOHC, we are thrilled by the opportunity this legislation would provide, allowing more dental teams to offer quality care to more North Carolinians.
Get Involved
Here are a few ways you can act today:
- Contact your representatives about House Bill 60. As of February, the North Carolina legislature is preparing to engage in budget negotiations. Whether House Bill 60 passes on its own or is incorporated into the full state budget, we are asking our network to tell their legislators to support Medicaid dental reimbursement rate increases in 2025. Use this resource to find your representative, and see the sample script at the bottom of this post for additional guidance.
- Download and read the 2024 Portrait of Oral Health to learn more about the state of oral health in North Carolina.
- Download and read NCRHA’s 2025 Rural Health Snapshot for a broader perspective on health and health care across North Carolina.
Personalize this sample script and contact your legislators about House Bill 60
Senator or Representative (Insert Name),
To improve access to quality dental care for North Carolinians who need it most, I urge you to support the inclusion of HB 60, Modernize Medicaid Dental Rates, in the state budget.
The cost of providing dental services continues to rise. Still, Medicaid reimbursement rates in North Carolina are the same as in 2008, forcing dentists to limit the number of Medicaid patients they can treat. Patients struggle to access critically crucial oral health care without dental providers. Poor oral health is associated with poor systemic health, including diabetes, dementia, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.
Increasing reimbursement rates could strengthen the provider network and improve access to quality care for children and adults. HB 60 would increase dental Medicaid reimbursement rates for child and adult dental services by 30%. I urge you to support this vitally important legislation to improve access to quality dental care for North Carolinians.
Thank you,
(Insert Name)
(Insert Address)
