Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC.

This bill aims to improve access to dental care in North Carolina by increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rates paid to dentists. Starting in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the state will allocate $80 million from the General Fund to raise these payment rates, which have not significantly changed since 2008. The legislation seeks to encourage more private dental providers to join the Medicaid program, thereby expanding the network of available dentists for patients. By making it more financially viable for dentists to accept Medicaid, the bill intends to help reduce the number of people relying on emergency departments for urgent dental needs.