While lawmakers and the public have been focused on rising medical costs and how to contain them, little has been said about rising dental care costs. For every adult without health insurance, an estimated three lack dental insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Pediatric dental is now one of the essential benefits required in medical plans by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is a good thing, but is limited to members under the age of 18. The preventive services benefit is great (100% coverage), but other work done like fillings, is subject to the plan's deductible. Adults however, are vulnerable to high out-of-pocket expenses without dental coverage. The result is that many adults will postpone visits to the dentist because of cost, which can even put one's overall health in jeopardy. According to the Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control, regular dental check-ups and the prompt treatment of any dental issues, are keys to warding off serious illness. Countless studies show the link between gum disease and medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Periodontal disease is very common and many adults don't even know that they have it. The truth is that regular dental care is not a luxury, but it is a necessity, and the good news is that there are more group and individual dental insurance plans to choose from. Affordable dental insurance is not a myth, and you may be very surprised to learn the premium is reasonable. Employees value having a comprehensive dental plan and you can even set it up to be "voluntary", so that the employee is contributing 100% of the premium through your payroll. If group dental insurance is not a priority, then individual dental insurance has many options too, and I would be happy to send you a group quote or to individuals in your employment. Either way, dental insurance gives you peace of mind, and you won't put off that over-due check-up.
