2-50: Delta Dental's Continuity through Health Care Reform

Sep 13, 2013

Delta Dental has always been dedicated to providing the very best dental coverage to small businesses, at affordable prices. And, that hasn’t changed, even with health care reform and the Affordable Care Act. In fact, there is no need to disrupt your clients’ dental benefits.

Delta Dental's Small Business Program still offers:

A wide variety of plan options with benefit flexibility
A range of prices and rate stability with group purchasing power
The same convenient access to their extensive dental networks

What you should know about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and dental coverage requirements.

Small businesses can stay with Delta Dental's Small Business Program. There is no need to disrupt your clients' current dental benefits.
Starting in January 2014, there is an ACA mandate requiring individuals to have health coverage or pay a fine.
In order to be compliant with the ACA, qualified health plans must cover 10 Essential Health Benefits (EHB), and one of these is pediatric dental care for children to age 19ⁱ.
Small businesses are not required to provide health or dental benefits to their employees; however, if they decide to do so the coverage must include the mandated EHB, and they may purchase them inside or outside of the state and federal health insurance marketplaces (the "Exchanges").

What does a small business need to do?

Employers can keep their existing Delta Dental Small Business Program plans to:

o cover employees and their dependents over the pediatric dental care EHB age limit
o cover children under the pediatric dental care EHB age limit to supplement what the EHB pediatric dental benefits do not cover

The EHB pediatric dental benefit may be:
- purchased from a stand-alone dental carrier like Delta Dental when it becomes availableⁱⁱ; or
- purchased as part of a medical carrier offering.

Things to consider

Even though small businesses are not required to provide dental benefits, many recognize the value of providing coverage to attract and retain qualified employees.
Delta Dental’s Small Business Program will continue to offer the full portfolio of dental plans to small businesses to cover employees and their families (including adult children to age 26). In addition, an exchange certified pediatric dental EHB optionⁱⁱ will be announced when it becomes available. These programs will be offered outside the Exchangeⁱⁱⁱ.
Choosing a medical plan that includes the pediatric dental EHB may appear advantageous, but the dental may not be as robust as a stand-alone dental plan, dental expenses may not be covered until the medical deductible is met, and there may be different networks requiring a change in dentist.

ⁱⁱWhile age 19 is the federally determined age limit, each state may set a higher limit.

ⁱⁱExcept California and Maryland

ⁱⁱⁱDelta Dental will offer plans inside the Exchanges for the pediatric dental EHB as well as supplemental plans for adults that differ from any offered in the Small Business Program portfolio.

Please contact your b&p Sales Representative for Delta Dental quotes - 888.722.3373.