As we shared earlier this month, Gov. Polis released his state budget proposal on Nov. 1, with a $1 billion budget gap. Within the Governor’s budget proposal for state fiscal year (SFY) 2025-26 are PROPOSED Medicaid adult dental rate cuts. The proposed rate cuts would be effective July 1, 2025, if approved.
Decisions on the state budget now lie with the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) of the state legislature. The JBC has begun meeting this month, and will continue meeting through March 2025 to make decisions about the Governor’s budget proposal and specific budget requests in the proposal. The JBC will begin the process of making budgetary decisions in 2025. They are currently hearing informational presentations from state departments and their own JBC staff analysts regarding the SFY2025-26 budget.
CDA has been actively engaged through public testimony given by CDA members at a meeting of the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee (MPRRAC) on Nov. 15. While the MPRRAC does not make budget decisions, they do review Medicaid rates and make informed recommendations to the JBC about Medicaid rates. The chair of the MPRRAC presented to the JBC on Nov. 19, and the CDA was encouraged to hear the chair of the MPRRAC express strong concerns about proposed cuts to dental rates, specifically citing public testimony that CDA members provided to the MPRRAC.
We will continue to share information when updates are available, and likely will know more early in 2025 when the JBC begins deliberating and voting on budget requests. CDA will continue to engage in the state budget process and will actively advocate to the JBC against dental rate cuts.
