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.

• Health reform requires children’s dental coverage to be included in medical insurance.  For 132 million Americans with family dental benefits that means they can’t keep their kids under their dental coverage.
• Some 40 million kids will be pulled out of their parents dental policies and covered under a medical plan with no guarantee that the dentist they now see will be in the medical plan or that the benefits will be as robust as they are under dental policies.
• Medical insurers don’t cover dental benefits today so they will have to build or buy systems that dental insurers have now.  That means more cost for the same or less dental coverage.
• And there’s a trickle-down effect on adults.  Because households without children are 60% less likely to have dental coverage, there could be a significant reduction in adults with coverage.  And since adults without coverage don’t see the dentist as often, their oral health will suffer.

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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Posted by admin on September 10th, 2009 :: Filed under Health Care Reform
Tags :: CNBC, dental, dental benefits, dental insurance, dental plans, insurance, NADP, plans, rates, street signs, VSP

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