Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Posts about dental insurance for individuals, families, small groups and Medicare eligible individuals.
Tucked into every individual and family health plan in California are some very good dental benefits for children. Unfortunately, the health plans don’t make it very easy to identify which dentists will accept the pediatric dental insurance that comes standard for dependents under 19 years of age. If a parent doesn’t select the correct plan […]
If you thought health insurance was confusing, try comparing individual and family dental plans. The insurance industry has taken a simple concept and turned it over to their marketing departments which created too many plans without proper explanation. However, most dental plans are surprisingly similar and with a little bit of filtering it is […]
Covered California has quietly announced that they will not be offering individual and family dental plans through the exchange in 2015. The dumping of the family dental plan options comes after Covered California released a whole dental plan booklet of family dental plans in August of 2014. No reason was given as to why the dental plans will […]
Covered California is changing and expanding their dental plans. First, all health plans will include children’s dental insurance. There will be no need to purchase a separate dental plan for dependents 18 and younger. Second, Covered California will begin to offer family dental plans on the exchange. But who are these dental plans and are […]
As of May 1, 2014, limited dental services will be included for adults, 21 years and older, that are on Medi-Cal. Adult dental Medi-Cal services were removed during the California budget crisis in 2009. Some counties may require adults to enroll in a dental manage care plan while others will offer a Fee-For-Service program. The Denti-Cal adult services will be the same whether they are obtained through a plan or through a Denti-Cal participating dentist or clinic. The challenge for adults in rural counties will be finding a dentist that accepts Denti-Cal.
If you missed enrolling your children in one of the Covered California pediatric dental plans, you’re not alone. The stand alone children’s dental plans are one of the best kept secrets of the Covered California enrollment website. While I think I know how to get the selection to pop-up, it is as stupid and mysterious as the whole stand alone program to begin with.
I had just finished the family’s application into a new Covered California health plan when I realized that we hadn’t chosen a pediatric dental plan for their son. I had that sinking feeling when I screw up an application…or did I? According to a customer service agent, Covered California hasn’t released the children’s dental plans.
One of the spillover effects from the Affordable Care Act is that the insurance companies are streamlining not only their health insurance plans but their ancillary insurance products like dental and vision. Anthem Blue Cross has just released new dental and vision plans that are straight forward and easy to understand.
Children’s dental insurance options have now been added to the line of plans being offered through California’s health insurance exchange Covered California. Part of the ten Essential Health Benefits that must be offered through the new health insurance exchanges or Marketplaces is pediatric dental. The state exchanges can meet this requirement in various ways and Covered California has opted to offer stand alone plans.
