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There is a saying in political circles, “There are two things you do not want to watch being made—sausage and laws.”
The health care reform debate certainly has not been an easy process to watch or to understand. No one would suspect from what is being talked about in the press or on the Senate floor that dental coverage will be impacted. But a fix is needed so that 31 million Americans now provided stand-alone dental coverage through small employers can keep their kids covered under those policies.
The 2000+ page Senate “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” is a step in the right direction to allowing Americans access to the separate dental coverage they have today. The act now partially incorporates a Senate Finance Committee’s amendment allowing separate dental coverage to meet the mandated children’s dental benefits inside the Exchanges when purchased with medical coverage meeting all other essential benefit requirements (Whew! That was a mouthful!). But what is not included is the part of the Senate Finance Committee’s amendment that provided the essential benefits purchased by individuals and small employers outside the Exchange to be offered the same way, i.e. through a separate dental and medical policy.
As a result, uninsured consumers can get stand-alone dental coverage through the new Exchanges to cover their children. But, those with dental coverage through a small employer outside the Exchanges can’t keep their children covered under their family dental policies. What sense does that make?
Senators’ Stabenow (MI) and Lincoln (LA) offered the amendment in Senate Finance. And it was adopted with unanimous bipartisan support. So, it makes no sense that the language of the amendment was not incorporated in bill on the Senate floor.
If you are employed in a company with less than 50 employees and have dental benefits, tell your Senator that you “want to keep your children covered under your dental policy.” Ask them to tell Senator Reid to work with Senators Stabenow and Lincoln to allow you to keep your coverage.
So Thursday started with a call from CNBC’s Street Signs program to talk about the impact of health reform on dental benefits. A call from a TV program was a first for me. I was energized, but it was also scary. After all, what woman wants to go on television with no notice? Well, at least I wore a jacket I thought and returned the call.
Three hours later, I was sitting in a sound proof booth looking at a camera with two “googley eyes” (like the ones on that stack of money you’ll save with Geico) trying to image the people that were talking in my ear as they sat in New York and California.
Of course, I looked like a deer in the headlights, but did remember a few key points.
Of course there were many things that we couldn’t get to. Maybe I can add them to the next 4 minute interview, but– with better make-up and clothes 
.
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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