Through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s new Anthem Whole Health Connection program, pregnant and diabetic members will be offered an extra dental cleaning or periodontal maintenance procedure per benefit period.
Effective Jan. 1, Anthem began reaching out to members who participate in Anthem’s Dental Blue, Dental Prime or Dental Complete1 plans and are actively managed in one of the company’s Diabetic or Maternal Health Care Management programs to inform them of the additional, no-cost benefit.
Anthem is providing the extra visit because of the link between dental health and overall health. For instance, a dental exam can reveal signs of diseases and infections, such as diabetes and periodontitis (a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and destroys the bone that supports the teeth).
According to Anthem, good dental health and the right dental coverage are especially important for expectant mothers and individuals with chronic medical conditions like diabetes.
“At Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, we understand the importance of creating and supporting programs that are designed to help our members maintain healthy pregnancies and manage diseases like diabetes,” said Larry Schreiber, president of Anthem in Wisconsin. “Even though we recognized American Diabetes Month and Prematurity Awareness Month a few months ago, our programs are designed to help our members manage their health throughout the year.”
