DeltaCare USA Offered to California's Costco Executive Members

Business Wire, Nov 2, 2006

Low Cost, Custom Dental Benefit Program Available on the Web

SAN FRANCISCO -- Delta Dental of California affiliate PMI Dental Health Plan announced a new partnership today with Costco Wholesale Corporation to make affordable voluntary dental benefits available to Costco's California-based Executive members.

Effective November 1, DeltaCare USA, a dental HMO program offered by PMI Dental Health Plan, is available online from a link on the Costco web site at www.costco.com. The link takes Costco members to an interactive online site where complete information regarding benefits, dentist locations, billing options and other information can be obtained. Online enrollment at the site makes it a one-stop shop for all eligible members.

Officials from Delta Dental of California are optimistic the new program will prove popular, and could lead to an expanded offering in other states. According to company officials, the Costco/DeltaCare USA dental program is more robust than a typical individual dental program.

"Dental benefits for individuals who are self-employed or otherwise unable to get insurance through work tend to be expensive and somewhat limited in scope," said Belinda Martinez, Delta Dental's senior vice president for Sales and Marketing. "What we've done is work with Costco to tailor a DeltaCare USA program specifically for Costco Executive members, and price it affordably."

Costco's DeltaCare USA dental program includes comprehensive dental benefits with 100 percent coverage for most diagnostic services, low patient copayments for most preventive services, and coverage with varying patient copayments for most other basic and major restorative services. There are no deductibles or annual maximums for any general services, and the program even extends benefits for general anesthesia and bleaching, which sets it apart from many other individual dental programs.

DeltaCare USA enrollees have access to one of California's largest dental HMO networks, with more than 4,100 participating dentists in more than 2,500 dentist locations across the state. Enrollees simply select a convenient dental office from the list of available DeltaCare USA dentists. An online directory allows enrollees to locate and select a participating dentist quickly and easily.

About PMI and Delta Dental of California

PMI Dental Health Plan, based in Cerritos, Calif., is Delta Dental's HMO affiliate, administering dental benefits for some 1.2 million enrollees in multiple states. Delta Dental of California is part of a San Francisco-based holding company system that collectively serves nearly 21 million enrollees in both commercial and government-sponsored programs throughout the nation. It is also a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association, whose member companies cooperate on programs that today cover more than 46 million enrollees nationwide.