Do ANY of the new healthcare laws apply to dental insurance?

Health care reform decisions include many new rules for comprehensive major medical insurance that do not apply to separately contracted benefits such as dental and vision. These are classified as "excepted benefits" under the provisions of the Public Health Service Act.

Even though these rules may not apply to dental insurance companies, we have heard from Delta Dental that there is a possibility that they will extend dependent coverage to the age of 26 if their clients decide that's what they want.

The new mandated extension of dependent child eligibility to age 26 under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will be implemented for group Delta Dental plans when requested by clients who decide to extend coverage for dependent children in a manner similar to what they are required to do for their major medical coverage.

Federal mandates do not require Delta Dental to automatically increase the dependent age limit for dental plans. However, at the client's request, they will implement changes to dependent eligibility with a revised dental benefits contract.

To be sure, we suggest you contact your benefits person and/or your dental insurance company.

_{Source: Delta Dental fyi 2010 fall}

^{Disclaimer: This information was provided to us from Delta Dental of California. We have not separately verified it's legality.}