Dental plans and benefits

Blue Shield of California's dental plans provide your clients with a variety of rate and benefit options, most with no waiting periods. Your clients can select coverage for all employees – even those not enrolled in our health plans.

Broker resources

2023 Updates: Simplicity matters. So do savings.

New rate reductions for a new portfolio of dental plans

Giving your employees what they want is now more affordable. Starting October 1, 2022, many of our dental plans are offered at up to 17% lower rates. And you can lock in that rate for 2 years!

Introducing new Dental PPO plans

These 8 new DPPO plans will provide your groups with more options and increased offerings. We now expanded our “Marketed” DPPO portfolio plan from 22 to a total of 30 DPPO portfolio plans. The newly designed plans include a $1500 calendar year maximum option under Bronze DPPO and offer MAC out-of-network reimbursement option under Gold DPPO.

New plans:

Bronze DPPO/1500/MAC
Bronze DPPO/MAC/Child Only Ortho
Bronze Voluntary DPPO/ $1500/MAC
Bronze Voluntary DPPO/$1500/MAC/Child Only Ortho
Gold DPPO/$1500/MAC
Gold DPPO/$1500/MAC/Adult+Child Ortho
Gold DPPO/$2000/MAC
Gold DPPO/$2000/MAC/Adult+Child Orth

To view and compare all available dental plans use the Plan Comparison Tool here.

Important for existing groups: Dental plans will be withdrawn in 2023

Five DPPO plans and five DINO plans (listed here) will be withdrawn from our Specialty portfolio beginning January 1, 2023, as part of our product transformation and portfolio simplification efforts. We want to make your move to a new plan as easy as possible, so we will be recommending similar coverage for you. Prior to your anniversary date, your group’s renewal information will be available including recommended plan and rates. You will also have the opportunity to choose any of our other available plan options.

Rates for closed plans can be found by looking up the plan ID number in our rate manual under “Closed Rate Book – includes closed Specialty (all regions: 1-19).”

For your groups that are impacted by these withdrawn plans, check out this small business dental plan mapping for withdrawn plans guide.

Why add a Blue Shield dental plan?

Bundled savings – now provide a 10% specialty premium discount

Give your small business clients a 10% specialty discount! Anytime you add dental and/or vision to a new or existing small business client's medical coverage, a 10% discount will be applied to the dental and/or vision premiums. Learn more.

Streamlined administration

This means one bill, one renewal, and one point of administration for all of your clients' Blue Shield business. And, your clients can access and manage all of their coverage information through Employer Connection.

Two-year initial rate guarantee

A two-year initial rate guarantee applies to both new and existing medical groups adding a dental or vision plan, and/or life insurance.

Access to Blue Shield’s dental networks

Members have access to one of the largest dental PPO or dental HMO networks with their dental plans from Blue Shield in California and nationwide. This gives dental PPO members the flexibility to choose from a large number of providers in and out of network, while dental HMO members can maximize their plan's value by accessing dental care at qualified in-network providers.

Plan choice

Blue Shield offers a variety of dental PPO and HMO plans with no waiting periods. Groups can also offer voluntary options to their employees. Our flexible dual and triple options let you offer two or three dental plans.

Any two dental plan options may be selected under the dual option provision.
The following combination of three dental plans may be selected:
- Any two DHMO plans with any DPPO plan
- Any three DHMO plans
The following additional combination of three dental plans may be selected only when purchased with Blue Shield of California small business medical coverage:
- Two DPPO plans that have an orthodontic benefit or two DPPO plans that do not have an orthodontic benefit with any one DHMO plan

Orthodontia coverage

All DHMO plans include orthodontic coverage for all ages. Our new dental PPO portfolio includes plans with child-only, child and adult, or no orthodontic coverage to help employers find the right plan for their employees. DPPO plans with orthodontic coverage are also offered for all ages with either a $1,000 calendar-year maximum over 24 months or as a lifetime benefit up to the ortho max amount on the plan.

Coverage for Invisalign “invisible” (clear) braces is included in our plans. Members are responsible for any costs over the amount of traditional braces. Learn more about orthodontia coverage.

Oral cancer screening benefit

All dental PPO plans include an oral cancer screening benefit covered at 100%. Oral cancer can hide below the surface, and detecting it early can greatly improve treatment success.

Caries risk management

An additional benefit for children who are at risk for tooth decay.
Download the Caries Risk Management Assessment flyer: English | Spanish

Dental coverage is available with or without Blue Shield medical coverage.

Pediatric dental benefits are included and embedded with medical plans.

Pediatric dental benefits are included in our small business medical plans. PPO, HSA, and HMO medical plans provide the same PPO dental coverage for pediatric dental benefits, but only PPO and HSA medical plans will offer coverage for pediatric dental benefits received from non-network providers, at non-network provider benefit levels. There is no coverage for non-network pediatric dental benefits in our HMO medical plans, except for emergencies. Dental and vision care are required essential health benefits (EHBs) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) for children up to age 19. Learn more about the importance of pediatric dental care.

Pediatric Dental and Vision FAQs

Contribution requirements

A 50% contribution is required for all dental plans∞ except Voluntary Dental plans; no employer contribution is required.

Dental plan acronyms explained for closed plans:

Specialty acronyms	Definition	Additional clarification	Applicable Advantages
ADV	Advantage	Member use of In-network providers can help reduce out-of-pocket costs for the member by reimbursing providers at a higher rate for the delivered services.
UCR	Usual, Customary, Reasonable	Meaning Blue Shield of California will only pay what we consider to be a usual, customary, and reasonable charge for any covered expenses incurred.	UCR plans can help members get maximum out-of-network providers and are good for groups with employees in remote areas.
MAC	Maximum Allowable Charge	This is a feature that will help our members save on out-of-pocket costs. Claims are paid according to the PPO fee schedule (maximum allowable charge). If a non-PPO provider is used, the member will pay a higher fee.	MAC plans can reduce premiums and are also advantageous when the majority of a group's providers are participating in the insurer's network. Groups that have not had dental coverage before can benefit from a MAC plan because premiums are typically lower.
NWP	No Waiting Period
WP	Waiting Period
INO	In-network Only
NR	No Rollover

^∞ Voluntary dental plans have a 12-month waiting period for major services. For groups selecting voluntary PPO dental that have prior dental coverage including “major” benefits for 12 months or more, the 12-month waiting period will be waived for all initial enrollees.