Why dental care is important to your overall health...
Consider this: people who suffer from periodontal disease, are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke.1 And there's also research linking poor oral health to diabetes, lund disease and premature birthe.2 Fortunately, regular dental check-ups can help detect the early warnings signs of certain health related issues. That's just one reason why it's so important to take good care of your teeth and gums. And an Anthem Dental plan from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield can help make it easy and affordable.
1 American Academy of Periodontal: Gum Disease Links to Heart Disease and Stroke, perio.org, 2008.
2 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research: Oral Health in America, 2008
What Anthem Blue Dental coverage helps pay for...
- Routine check-ups, X-rays and cleanings. Coverage begins on your plan effective date and there's no deductible for these services when provided in-network.
- General services and basic dental care like fillings. Coverage begins after you meet a $50 annual deductible (up to $150/family) and have 6 months of continuous coverage.
- Major dental work, for example, root canals and crowns. You'll be covered after 12 months of continuous coverage and your deductible is met.
- Both in-network and out-of-network dental care. For the best savings, you should choose in-network dentists and specialists.
- Up to $1,000 of dental services per member, per year, after any deductibles or coinsurance you might have
How the Plan Works...
When you choose an in-network dental provider, you'll receive services at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's negotiated discounted rates. Anthem still provides benefits when you choose an out-of-pocket network provider; however your out-of-pocket expenses may be higher, because anthem's negotiated fees don't apply to out-of-network providers. You're responsible for any excess charges exceeding the stated benefit amount for both in-network and out-of-network providers.
Your current dentist may already be an in-network provider. For an up-to-date listing of dental providers in the Anthem network, go to anthem.com and click the Find a Doctor link. It could save you money.
When visiting an out-of-network provider, Anthem will elt you know up front how much the plan pays for covered services. This mean you may calculate how much you'll have to pay once you've determined your dentist's fee for a specific procedure.
If you current dentist isn't in their network and you want him or her to join their network, have them contact Anthem Network Services, (888) 209-7852 |
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