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Like most of you I have been consumed by my own priorities since the last post in mid-September—mostly work. And there is both good news and bad news to report for oral health.
The Good News (always first, right?)—The Senate Finance Committee unanimously agreed that you should be able to keep your kids in your dental plan with you. They also agreed that Americans who are getting coverage through the Exchange should be able to buy a separate dental plan for their kids focused on oral health coverage if they want t0. So S 1796 will let you keep your dental coverage and dentist.
The Bad News—The House version of health reform that came out last week—HR 3962—dropped an amendment that protected the separate family dental policies of 132 million Americans. Our last ditch efforts to get the provision restored before the bill comes to the floor for a vote this Friday failed.
The Ugly News: Bottom line, if the House bill is the one to pass, 45 million kids covered on their family dental policies will be stripped from their parents’ policies and put into their medical plan. And there is no guarantee that the medical plan will include the dentist your kids now see.
So, today I am bummed as the promise that “you can keep our coverage and providers” is in jeopardy when it comes to your dental plans.
What can you do to help prevent this from happening? It’s a simple 2-step process.
Do your part to keep family dental coverage under dental 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.’
I’ve been listening to a lot of health care reform town halls lately.
On Sunday, I was listening to the radio when another Senator repeated the promise that “Americans can keep their current coverage and doctors.” I found myself screaming at the radio, “just not your dental or vision coverage!” Aware my outburst did nothing beyond frighten the other drivers on the road; I knew I had to take to the blogosphere.
I don’t want to be an alarmist, but I have devoted a lot of resources to figuring out how the 1000’s of pages of health care reform bills work. I know there are unexpected surprises in these bills that Americans should know about. Whenever I share what I know with my family and friends, they say “Really? Why?”
Now I want to know what you think about 3 things the House version of health care reform will do:
What do you think?
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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