Dental Roundup: Discount Dental Meeting and More

By Allison Bell

May 24, 2012 at 02:48 PM

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A Web-based dental discount plans broker recently organized a conference for discount dental plans.

DentalPlans.com, Plantation, Fla., says the conference attracted attendees from the Consumer Health Alliance (CHA), National Association of Dental Plans and HealthScape Advisors, as well as from companies such as Aetna, CIGNA, Careington, DenteMax, Humana and Solstice Benefits.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) creates dental coverage requirements for children but not for adults.

PPACA does call for the new PPACA health insurance exchanges to include dental plans on their product menus.

One conference participant said PPACA's emphasis on individuials buying their own insurance coverage through exchanges could create opportunities for discount plans, DentalPlans.com says.

If large numbers of small employers respond to PPACA by dropping dental coverage, that also could help the discount plans, the company says.

Meanwhile, in other dental market news, Delta Dental Insurance Company, San Francisco, says it has been picked to be the dental benefits administrator for 34,000 Montana state employees. The contract is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2013.

Delta Dental already provides or administers dental coverage for another 44,000 Montana residents.

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