By Steve Rosen
Parents hate to get these letters — notice from an insurer that their college-age son or daughter is no longer eligible for dental and vision coverage.
While the Affordable Care Act allows parents to keep their adult sons and daughters enrolled in employer-provided family health insurance plans until they turn 26, there are no such guarantees for dental or vision insurance.
These situations are growing more common as companies drop these benefits altogether to help keep their health insurance costs in check. In another twist, some companies drop dependents from their plans when they graduate from college.
Problems also arise if your son or daughter has received dental and vision benefits through a federal insurance program known as COBRA, which provides protection up to 36 months.
So prepare to go shopping to protect your 20-something’s perfect teeth and eagle-eye vision.
The good news: There are plenty of affordable coverage options, and the insurance can be bought at any time, without the need to wait months for enrollment season.
INSURANCE COVERAGE: If your son or daughter is in college, check the university-sponsored health insurance plans first. Some, but not all, schools provide more than just medical benefits, which could fill your coverage gap.
There are plenty of other ways to get insured. The most common option is to buy separate dental and vision policies from an insurance company. Websites such as EHealthInsurance.com compare prices and policy details from dozens of plans.
If you have a preferred dentist or eye doctor, check what plans that practice accepts before enrolling. Remember that you can still choose a specialist that is not part of a network.
As for benefits, look for a dental insurer that covers checkups and cleanings twice a year. Vision insurance plans typically cover one eye exam per year, along with contacts, frames and lenses up to a specific dollar amount.
DISCOUNT PLANS: Dental and vision discount plans offered by companies such as Optum HealthAllies Inc. typically advertise savings of up to 50 percent on certain procedures. But these are not insurance policies.
Before signing up, the Federal Trade Commission suggests checking whether your dentist or eye care specialist accepts those discounts. And see how many providers within a 10-mile radius of your home accept the discounts.
GOING IT ALONE: There is another choice: Skip the insurance system altogether and pay the costs out of your own pocket. If you can handle the risks of the unexpected, this strategy might be the way to go, especially if your son or daughter has strong eyesight and a good oral health history.
Check with your family dentist and eye doctor about charges for basic procedures.
Source The Kansas City Star
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