DELTA DENTAL: Expands Benefits for California Military Retirees
San Francisco-based Delta Dental of California, which now administers the dental program for California military retirees and their families, is expanding the Tricare Retiree Dental Program to attract an estimated 4.2 million individuals, the Sacramento Business Journal reports. Currently, 525,000 people are enrolled in the program. The expansion, the "biggest development in the program since Delta Dental became a contractor in the mid-1980s," will cover cast crowns, onlays, bridges, partials/dentures, orthodontics and dental accidents, in addition to diagnostic and preventive services. These options accompany the basic dental benefits the program already offers. The new premiums for the expanded benefits will be "roughly twice as expensive as the old ones" -- between $20 and $34 monthly for single people; $32-$64 for couples and $62-$105 for families. Although retirees and their families can sign up for the program immediately, the benefits will not take affect until Oct. 1. While current members can retain the basic benefit package, new members must opt for the expanded coverage (Robertson, 9/4).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.