Agent News
Dental Xtra adds to covered conditions
Keeping your mouth healthy can have a big impact on your overall health, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with certain medical conditions. Studies1 show that gum disease and tooth decay can have adverse affects, even more so for certain medical conditions.
Enhanced dental benefits at no additional cost
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Dental Xtra program offers Xtra benefits that are tailored to specific medical conditions (see table below). Members who have been diagnosed with one or more of these conditions can use Dental Xtra’s benefits to help improve their overall health, increase their quality of life and lower their medical and dental care costs. Dental Xtra benefits:
- Are valued at more than $1,000
- Are covered at 100%
- Come with no extra cost to participate
- Require no deductibles, coinsurance or copayments (with participating providers)
- Have no waiting periods
- Are not subject to annual maximums
Medical-dental integration for better health
Our Dental Xtra program brings medical and dental care together to help members improve overall health. Members who have medical and dental coverage with Arkansas Blue Cross and also have a qualifying medical condition automatically are enrolled in the program. Members who are pregnant or have only a dental policy with Arkansas Blue Cross, can easily self-enroll online. Once enrolled, we’ll provide more information, including access to a number of helpful online resources, that explain the mouth-body connection. We’ll also send periodic reminders to use your enhanced dental benefits.
| Covered medical conditions and enhanced dental benefits | Automatic program enrollment | Two additional cleanings or periodontal maintenance visits per year | Oral cancer screenings once every 6 months & fluoride treatments once every 3 months | Periodontal Scaling* covered 100%, with no out-of-pocket expense |
| Diabetes | | |
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| Coronary artery disease | | |
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| Stroke | | |
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| Pregnancy |
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| Oral Cancer | | | |
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| Head & Neck Cancers (As of January 1, 2020) | | | |
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| Sjögren’s Syndrome | | | |
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* A member’s plan must include periodontal coverage to receive this benefit.
1American Journal of Preventive Medicine. (2014, August). “Impact of Periodontal Therapy on General Health: Evidence from Insurance Data for Five Systemic Conditions.” Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379714001536
Also, you can access a Dental Xtra PDF flyer for members and a Dental Xtra PDF flyer for groups to help explain it to your clients and prospects.