Delta Dental's Position on Health Care Reform
December 1, 2009
San Francisco — We applaud Congress for including a children’s dental benefit in health care reform legislation. Unfortunately, the House bill does so with troubling consequences for families. It denies families who are seeking coverage the ability to choose from among the best dental plans – and disrupts coverage for families who already have it.
The consequences for children’s dental coverage may be unintended, but they are no less real.
Specifically, the House bill requires families to purchase children’s dental coverage from a medical insurer, depriving them of the option to choose more popular, more experienced dental plans. It would also force parents who already have family dental coverage to either purchase or maintain two dental plans – one for their children and one for themselves. This would disrupt coverage for an estimated 40 to 50 million children. And, there’s no guarantee that those families would be able to keep their family dentist.
The bill being debated by the Senate would allow families to keep their dental coverage. We encourage the House of Representatives to take a similar approach.
Support health care reform that:
- Gives Americans choice among the best dental plans, including stand-alone dental options and dental-focused carriers
- Helps Americans keep their current dental coverage and current dentists
- Maintains healthy competition and holds down costs
- Advances America’s oral health
To understand the unique role dental benefits play in helping to provide quality, cost-effective care, please visit www.advanceoralhealth.com for more information.
