California Expands Access to Fluoride Varnish
The Respecting Fluoride for Kids Act would require insurers, including Medi-Cal, to cover fluoride varnish for children and young adults through age 21 without a copay.
In the midst of a national debate on the effectiveness and safety of fluoride, California is expanding access to the proven caries-prevention agent. The Respecting Fluoride for Kids Act (Assembly Bill 350) requires the full coverage of fluoride varnish for children and young adults (up to age 21) by private and public insurers (Medi-Cal). Previously, Medi-Cal required coverage of fluoride varnish only up to age 5. The legislation prohibits insurers from charging a copay for the varnish, which may be administered in any healthcare or public-health setting.
The bill has passed both the Senate the House and is now on the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom who is expected to sign it into law by early October. Once signed, the legislation requires compliance by July 1, 2027.
The controversy regarding fluoride’s safety grew with the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, who asserts that fluoride is “industrial waste” and a “dangerous neurotoxin.”1 As a result many communities have ceased water fluoridation, raising alarm among public health experts who suggest it is a simple and inexpensive way to fight tooth decay.
California has higher rates of dental caries among its youngest residents than the rest of the US. In California, 61% of third-grade children experience a carious lesion compared to the national average of 53%.2 Click here to read more.
References
- Putterman S. Does fluoride cause cancer, IQ loss, and more? Fact-checking Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims. HealthBeat.
- California Department of Public Health. Oral Health Status of Children: Results of the 2018-2019 California Third Grade Smile Survey.
