North Carolina senator introduces bill to raise Medicaid dental reimbursement rates

State Sen. Kevin Corbin recently introduced a bill designed to boost Medicaid dental reimbursement rates and increase the number of dentists providing care to Medicaid recipients, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

Filed as SB 805 on April 21 in the 2025 regular session, the bill appears on official records under the short title: ‘Increase Oral Health Care Access in NC.’

Here is a summary based on the bill text, with explanatory notes for clarity.

The measure allocates $80 million in recurring funds from North Carolina’s General Fund for the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits, starting in the 2026-27 fiscal year. The goal is to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental care, with an intent to improve oral health access by incentivizing more dentists, including those in private practice, to accept Medicaid patients and decrease use of emergency rooms for urgent dental issues. The legislation is slated to take effect July 1, 2026.

Among the bill’s three sponsors, Jim Burgin introduced the highest number of bills (71) during the 2025 regular session.

Legislation in North Carolina must go through a multi-stage legislative process before becoming law. It starts with bill filing and committee assignment, followed by three readings in both legislative chambers. If one chamber amends the bill after the other has passed it, both must consent to the final content. Once both bodies agree, the bill heads to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 days if the legislature is out of session) to sign it, veto it, or allow it to become law without signing.

Corbin received his BS from Appalachian State University in 1983.

A Republican, Corbin was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2021, serving the 50th Senate district after succeeding Jim Davis.