Launch of Regence Dental Product Gives Consumers Reason to Smile
New option provides cost-effective coverage to help people maintain good oral health, which can help prevent more serious health problems
Portland, OR (Oct. 3, 2006) – Regence Life and Health Insurance Company has launched a new benefit known as Voluntary Dental, which may help some of the 117,000 children in Oregon who are without health insurance prevent more than just cavities.
Tooth decay and pain from untreated dental disease impairs children’s ability to do simple things like eat and sleep and lowers their self-esteem. It can also affect their ability to learn and impair their quality of life as they grow older. Current research indicates that dental hygiene is linked to cardiovascular disease, low birth-weight babies, diabetes complications and stroke, suggesting that good oral hygiene can help keep people healthy and lower their risk of developing these medical conditions. Still, approximately 45 percent of the population is without dental insurance, often due to lack of affordability.
Regence Life and Health’s new Voluntary Dental coverage offers a potential solution for employers seeking ways to balance health care costs with employees’ health care needs and that of their families. Voluntary means that the employee pays for the majority of the premium, but they pay the less expensive, pre-tax group rates, making such plans more affordable for both employers and their employees.
“As health care costs rise for consumers, even people who have insurance often don’t have dental insurance. Regence’s Voluntary Dental Coverage gives consumers and their families a chance to help children build healthy oral habits now, which can help them stay healthy as they grow older,” said George Ross, vice president of Regence Life and Health.
Regence’s new Voluntary Dental product features two benefit maximum options, both of which cover standard preventive services such as cleanings, x-rays and fluoride treatments for children. The product is available now for a coverage effective date of October 1, 2006. Employers may contact their local agent or broker or Regence Life and Health’s customer service team at 1 (800) 794-5390 for more information.
For more than 20 years, Regence Life and Health has offered quality life and disability products and health plans. As a subsidiary of member Plans of Regence, the company is associated with the financial strength and brand recognition of the largest health insurer in the Northwest/Mountain State Region, which operates Blue Shield/Blue Cross plans in Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Collectively, these not-for-profit Plans serve
nearly three million people.
For Immediate Release – October 3, 2006
Contact: Samantha Meese
(503) 225-5332