So, this morning I read that health policy costs went up 133% over the last 10 years, yikes!  During that same time dental plan costs rose less than 40%–on average 4% to 5% in the last few years. In fact dental premiums went down this year for employee only.  So why does Congress want to put children’s dental coverage under a health plan? Lower cost?  More coverage?

97% of the dental benefits today are separate policies of coverage through carriers that specialize in dental.  When a medical plan has to build or buy the capacity to cover dental—that’s just more cost they will pass onto us!

The top medical plan that covers federal employees has a skinny dental benefit—paying $22 for an office visit.  Dental plans pay 100% for preventive office visits and the x-rays, cleanings, sealants and fluoride that my kids and I need.  So my daughter who is still at college and on my dental plan will be shifted to the new medical plan and probably have less dental coverage than I have.

Oh, and that promise you can keep your dentist—you get no guarantee that the dentist your family sees now will be part of the medical plan covering your kids.

The promise that Americans can keep their coverage and providers is broken when it comes to our dental benefits.

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 16th, 2009 :: Filed under Health Care Reform
Tags :: dental coverage, Health Care Reform, health insurance, oral health, policy
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