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AARP Announces Dental Insurance Plan for Senior
Citizens
Sept. 8, 2004 – A dental insurance plan for people
50 and over has been announced by AARP and Delta Dental Insurance
Company.
"As the 50-plus population continues to grow in
numbers, and with the current lack of accessibility, there is a critical
need for affordable dental insurance for this population, as well as
public information focused on the importance of dental health as we
age," said Dawn Sweeney, president of AARP Services, Inc.
To meet these needs, AARP, through its subsidiary
AARP Services, Inc., has teamed with Delta Dental Insurance Company to
create the AARP Dental Insurance Plan and to launch a dental care
initiative targeting those who are 50-plus.
The AARP Dental Insurance Plan -- featuring
comprehensive family coverage and the freedom to choose any licensed
dentist -- will initially be available to AARP members in 21 states and
the District of Columbia. Plans are to make the program available to all
35 million AARP members across the country by 2005.
"Our members have been asking us for this type of
program because they realize the value of continuing dental care,"
Sweeney said. "However, because of financial limitations, many have had
to eliminate regular dental care from their budget." The health
implications for post-retirement dental care are significant, said
Harold C. Slavkin, DDS, dean of the University of Southern California
School of Dentistry and one of the chief architects of the landmark
Surgeon General's report, released in 2000.
"Medicare does not cover routine dental services
and, in most states, neither does Medicaid," he said. "With continued
dental care, those who are 50-plus can avoid a myriad of health
problems, including tooth loss, gum disease and mouth cancers. With
continued care, we can all enjoy a robust lifestyle and a wide range of
foods, communicate effectively, maintain self- esteem and meet our
social responsibilities within our family and community." The AARP
Dental Insurance Plan provides immediate coverage for most preventive,
diagnostic and basic restorative services, as well as endodontics (root
canal treatment) and oral surgery (extractions). After 12 months,
coverage expands to include major restorations, periodontics (gum
treatment) and prosthodontics (dentures).
"Dental insurance for retirees and those who are
50-plus is often very restrictive or simply unavailable," said Gary D.
Radine, president and CEO of the holding company that includes Delta
Dental Insurance Company. "This new program balances the need for
immediate benefits with the need for affordable monthly premiums." Those
interested in the coverage may contact the AARP Dental Insurance Plan
for more information at
http://www.deltadentalins.com/aarp
or call toll-free at (866) 583-2085 to enroll. AARP membership is
required for enrollment.
Approximately 60 percent of Americans older than 50
have dental insurance and most will lose this coverage when they retire
and face fixed or reduced incomes, according to the landmark U.S.
Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health.
As the "Baby Boom Generation" inches closer to
retirement, their ranks continue to swell the 50-plus population of the
United States, which was about 27 percent in 2000; by 2020, that number
will jump by more than 115 million to approximately 35 percent,
according to the U.S. Census.
About AARP/AARP Services Inc.
AARP is a non-profit, non-partisan membership
organization dedicated to making life better for people 50 and older.
AARP provides information and resources; engages in legislative,
regulatory and legal advocacy; assists members in serving their
communities; and offers a wide range of unique benefits, special
products and services for its members. These include AARP The Magazine,
published bi-monthly; AARP Bulletin, a monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda
Juventud, a quarterly newspaper in Spanish; NRTA Live and Learn, a
quarterly newsletter for 50-plus educators; and AARP's website,
http://www.aarp.org AARP
staffs offices in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and
U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Services, Inc. (ASI), founded in 1999, is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of AARP. ASI manages the wide range of products
and services that are offered as benefits to AARP's 35 million members.
The offers span health and financial products, travel and leisure
products, and life event services.
Specific products include Medicare supplemental
insurance; automobile, life, and homeowners insurance; member discounts
on rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and lodging. ASI's
responsibilities include developing new products, managing products and
services, marketing, creating and maintaining partnership and
sponsorship relationships, and developing and managing AARP's
award-winning Web site, AARP.org.
About Delta Dental Insurance Company and the
holding company system that includes Delta Dental of California, New
York and Pennsylvania Delta Dental Insurance Company, which underwrites
the AARP program, is affiliated with a larger holding company system
that includes Delta Dental of California, New York and Pennsylvania,
among others. This holding company system last year posted $4.3 billion
in consolidated gross revenues, and collectively covers nearly 21
million Americans in a variety of fee-for- service, PPO and HMO dental
programs throughout the country. Regionally, Delta Dental of
Pennsylvania administers benefits for the Delta Plans and affiliated
operations in the District of Columbia, along with Maryland, New York
and West Virginia.
The AARP program specifically will be administered
from two, linked operational centers; one in Mechanicsburg, Pa., near
Harrisburg, (headquarters for Delta Dental of Pennsylvania); the other
in Rancho Cordova near Sacramento, Calif. (operations center for San
Francisco-based Delta Dental of California).
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