Why do you need a dental plan?
Oral health is more important than you might think. It can provide early signs of issues to your overall health.1 With most of our Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans there is no extra premium cost for services like routine exams, cleanings, and X-rays. This makes it more affordable for you to maintain your dental and whole body health.
- Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.2
- Untreated periodontitis can also make other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, worse.3
Optional Supplemental dental plans can provide broader coverage for dental services and access to specialists.
Explore Medicare plans in your area
We’ve sent you an email with a link and all the relevant information for the event.
It’s easy to enroll:
If you’re considering a Blue Shield Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan you can sign up for an optional supplemental dental HMO or PPO plan right on the application. Please use the Find a doctor tool to confirm that your dentist participates in the Dental HMO network. If your selected dentist is not in-network, you will need to choose a participating dentist or one will be automatically assigned to you.
If you’re already a Blue Shield Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug Plan member, you have three convenient ways to enroll in one of our optional supplemental dental plans:
- Call today to enroll (800) 260-9607.*
- Contact your broker and they can enroll you online.
- You can sign up using the optional supplemental dental HMO or PPO plan enrollment form and send it to the address provided on the enrollment form.
Optional Supplemental Dental HMO or PPO plan enrollment form – English (PDF, 76 KB)
Optional Supplemental Dental HMO or PPO plan enrollment form – Spanish (PDF, 77 KB)
If you have any questions about applying for dental coverage, speak with a Blue Shield of California Medicare adviser at (877) 890-7587 (TTY: 711) April 1 through September 30 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT on weekdays, and October 1 through March 31 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT, seven days a week.
- Many routine and diagnostic care services like teeth cleanings and X-rays available at little to no cost to you.
- Specialty care services are available with a referral from your primary dental care provider.6
- No deductibles
- No annual maximums
- No claim forms
- A broad range of dental benefits, including 100% coverage for most diagnostic and preventive services when received from a participating dentist.
- Specialist care is available without a referral from your dentist.3
- Coverage for services, such as dental implants, not covered in many of the Blue Shield Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans.
- See any dentist, but you’ll typically pay less when you choose to receive services from a participating dentist.
- 48,136 dentists in California including specialists.
- If your dentist isn’t in our network, you can still continue seeing them or any out-of-network dentists and receive coverage.3
- $50 calendar-year deductible applies to services beyond diagnostic and preventive care.
- No claim forms are needed when you visit a network dentist.
| Optional Supplemental Dental HMO | Optional Supplemental Dental PPO | |
|---|---|---|
$16.00 |
$49.00 |
|
Calendar-year deductible (not applicable to diagnostic and preventive services) |
None |
$50 |
Calendar-year maximum |
None |
The maximum amount the Plan will pay for covered Services and supplies is $1,500 in a calendar year. Up to $1,000 of this maximum amount may be used for covered services and supplies received from non-participating dentists in a calendar year. You pay any amount above the $1,500 benefit maximum in a calendar year. |
Waiting period for major services |
None |
None |
Network access |
Participating dentists only |
Participating dentists and non-participating dentists |
Explore Medicare plans in your area
We’ve sent you an email with a link and all the relevant information for the event.
Find a dental plan near you
Find a dentist
With a Blue Shield dental plan, you’ll have access to one of the largest dental networks in California. Use our Find a Doctor tool to easily locate a provider or check if your current dentist is in the network.
- “Oral health: A window to your overall health”, Mayo Clinic, October, 2021. Oral health: A window to your overall health - Mayo Clinic.
- www.cdc.gov/oral-health
- “Gum disease: By the numbers” (July 2024) National Institute of Health (NIH) MedlinePlus Magazine and “Evidence: Gum Disease as a leading cause of tooth loss”, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (2024).
- The Optional Supplemental Dental HMO plan is not available to Blue Shield AdvantageOptimum Plan (HMO), Blue Shield AdvantageOptimum Plan 1 (HMO), Blue Shield TotalDual Plan (HMO D-SNP), and Blue Shield 65 Plus (HMO) members in the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. Refer to the plan Summary of Benefits for additional information.
- The Optional Supplemental Dental PPO plan is not available to Blue Shield AdvantageOptimum Plan (HMO), Blue Shield AdvantageOptimum Plan 1 (HMO), and Blue Shield TotalDual Plan (HMO D-SNP). Refer to the plan Summary of Benefits for additional information.
- Dental providers in California are available through a contracted dental plan administrator. Network numbers are as of July 2025.
Blue Shield 65 Plus is a service mark of Blue Shield of California.
Blue Shield of California is an HMO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Blue Shield of California depends on contract renewal.
H2819_25_381D3_M Accepted 05242026
Y0118_25_381D3_M Accepted 05242026
Page last updated: 7/10/2026