Today I read a new Kaiser Family Foundation report on “Children and Health Care Reform” (Publication #7980) that confirms that what I have been saying, “Dental benefits get short shrift when combined with medical coverage.”

Kaiser says that under the most popular Blue Cross Blue Shield federal employee’s medical plan a 7-year old boy’s trip to the dentist was reimbursed at $22 with an additional $30 for an extraction.  Separate dental coverage typically pays 100% of preventive care including office visits and 80% for basic services like extractions, fillings, root canals etc.

Medical plans will simply not give dental the attention it needs.  The separate dental coverage that 132 million Americans have today for their families should be left alone under health care reform.

As a Mom that still covers my daughter at college under my dental plan, I don’t want to try to figure out different payment schedules under my medical policy for her when she calls about going to the dentist.   It is easier to refer to the dental policy that covers me and my husband.

Who needs this kind of complexity added to their lives?  Let’s just let dental do dental and have medical handle medical.

Evelyn F. Ireland, CAE, is a mother of two and Executive Director of the National Association of Dental Plans. She is recognized as an expert in the insurance industry by ‘Insurance Newscast Expert.’

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Posted by admin on September 14th, 2009 :: Filed under Health Care Reform
Tags :: Blue Cross Blue Shield, dental, Health Care Reform, Kaiser
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