Spring 2019





COBRA UPDATE
In July 2017, Delta Dental of Colorado (DDCO) revised our policy on maintaining subscriber eligibility for dental benefits through COBRA. The change stated that coverage for COBRA participants would only reflect active based on the paid-through dates received by the COBRA administrator. Since that time, we have listened to your feedback and we have revised our policy.
 
DDCO will no longer be requesting paid-through dates from the COBRA administrators. As requests are sent to enroll a participant in COBRA coverage, an 18-month (or 36-month) coverage span will be entered for the participants. If the coverage ends prior to the 18- or 36-month coverage span, terminations will be worked as they are received by the COBRA administrators.
 
Please note, this change only applies to coverage updated manually. Coverage sent via electronic file feeds does not require a future termination date as both enrollments and terminations are managed through the file feed.
 
If you have concerns with this new process and prefer to keep your COBRA participants' eligibility restricted to the paid-through date, please contact group administration  and your DDCO account manager to be placed on an exception list.





TOOTH FAIRY PAYOUTS PLUNGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
The Tooth Fairy's purse strings appear to be tighter than a year ago with the average monetary payout down by 43 cents. According to the just-released Original Tooth Fairy Poll®, sponsored by Delta Dental, the Tooth Fairy's average cash gift declined to $3.70 for a lost tooth.
 
Not all parents say the Tooth Fairy is following the national average. In homes that the Tooth Fairy visits, close to two in five parents (37 percent) give their child at least $5 or more. Also, a first lost tooth continues to impress. Parents recognize this monumental tooth with an average of $4.96, representing $1.26 above the $3.70 average for subsequent teeth lost.
 
Delta Dental has been gauging the Tooth Fairy's U.S. annual giving trends for more than two decades. The newly disclosed value of a lost tooth may be slipping, but it's significantly greater than the 1998 national average of $1.30, which equates to about $2 today with inflation.


Value of lost tooth and economy
The Original Tooth Fairy Poll has typically served as a good indicator of the economy's overall direction, tracking with the movement of Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) for 14 of the past 17 years. A year ago, a single lost tooth was valued at $4.13 and dropped to $3.70 in this year's survey, down 10 percent. Over the same time period, the S&P 500 also saw a decline and decreased by 3 percent.

About the survey
The Original Tooth Fairy Poll was conducted between December 31, 2018, and January 13, 2019, among a nationally representative sample of 1,058 parents of children ages 6-12. The margin of error is +/- 3 percent.
 
The S&P 500 stood at 2,687 on December 28, 2017, and decreased to 2,596 by January 11, 2019, down 3 percent.
 
For more information about the Delta Dental-sponsored survey, Tooth Fairy trivia, and oral health tips for infants to pre-teen, visit Original Tooth Fairy Poll.




LIFESMILE ™ CHANGE AWARD NOMINATIONS 
Did you know that people with gum disease have nearly double the risk for heart disease as those with healthy gums?

Delta Dental of Colorado and the American Heart Association recognize the important connection between oral health and overall health. That's why
we've partnered to bring you the LifeSmile Change Award.

The LifeSmile Change Award will be presented to individuals who've made positive changes to improve their quality of life and overall health. The nominees may have lost weight, committed to eating healthier, improved their cholesterol through exercise and diet, or made a commitment to preventive care. We want to find champions of change and use their stories to inspire others!

The winners will be recognized at the 2019 Denver Heart & Stroke Walk on June 1st, 2019, at the Broncos Stadium at Mile High and will also receive a "healthy" prize package.  The deadline for submitting a nomination is May 15 , 2019.

Delta Dental of Colorado
1-800-610-0201