Covered California, California's health insurance exchange, voted today to delay soliciting bids for medical plans that include pediatric dental care until next year.
Covered California will offer five standalone pediatric dental plans for 2014, as well as what's called a "bundled" plan in which insurers pair a standalone dental plan with a medical plan.
Critics have argued that Covered California should also offer so-called "embedded" pediatric dental plans that are included in medical plans.
But at a special meeting August 8, an adviser told the exchange's board that too many questions remain for the exchange to offer embedded pediatric dental plans before 2015, according to a Fresno Bee story.
The exchange still must decide whether to make buying dental insurance mandatory and for whom it would be required. Until Covered California makes this decision, staff members will not know which types of plans to include in the exchange, the story stated. Six of the eight health insurance firms with the ability to provide embedded dental plans said they could not develop a bid for next year.
The board's plan to solicit multiple options for children's dental plans in 2015 comes in response to concern from children's advocates and families about the affordability of pediatric dental care.
Monthly premiums for the pediatric dental plans to be offered in 2014 start at $10 per child, depending on the plan. The plans cover children up to age 19.
