Does Kaiser Cover Dental in California?

Kaiser dental coverage is one of the questions we hear most often, and if it feels complicated, that is a fair reaction. Your Kaiser medical plan and your Kaiser dental plan are two separate things run by two different companies, and nobody sits you down and explains the difference. So let us walk through it together: what Kaiser dental actually is in California, the three plan types you might have, and the ten-second check that tells you whether a given dental office can see you.

Does Kaiser Permanente cover dental in California?

Not through your standard Kaiser medical plan. In California, adult dental is a separate plan that you add on, and Kaiser does not run dental offices of its own. Kaiser’s California dental plans are underwritten by Kaiser Permanente Insurance Company and administered by Delta Dental of California.

That is why your dental ID card says Delta Dental on it even though you enrolled through Kaiser. Practically speaking, you have a Delta Dental plan with a Kaiser label on the front.

The three Kaiser dental plans in California, and what each one lets you do

Delta Dental administers more than one product, and the one you have decides which dental offices you can walk into. Depending on how you got your coverage, a Kaiser dental plan in California is usually one of these three.

• Delta Dental PPO — pays at its highest level when you see a contracted PPO dentist, with no balance billing for covered services. You can pick any PPO dentist.
• Delta Dental Premier — a larger contracted network with somewhat higher agreed fees than PPO. Still contracted, still protected from balance billing. You can pick any Premier dentist.
• DeltaCare USA — a dental HMO. You are assigned to one specific dental office and care elsewhere is generally not covered. You can only see your assigned office.

The difference matters most on the third one. “I have Delta Dental through Kaiser” sounds like one fact. It is really three possible facts, and only one of them limits you to a single building.

How to tell which Kaiser dental plan you have

Look at your dental ID card. The plan name is printed on it, not just the carrier name. You are looking for the words PPO, Premier, or DeltaCare USA.

If the card is not clear, call the member number on the back and ask one question: am I on a PPO plan, a Premier plan, or a DeltaCare USA plan? A representative can answer that immediately. You can also hand the card to any dental office and ask them to verify your benefits before you book, which most offices will do at no cost.

What about Kaiser Senior Advantage and Medicare?

Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage members in California get dental as an optional add-on, and that benefit runs on the DeltaCare USA Medicare plan. It is a dental HMO with an assigned dental office, and care from an out-of-network dentist is generally not covered unless it is an emergency or Delta Dental approves it in advance.

So if you are on Senior Advantage, the assigned-office rule applies to you. Ask Delta Dental who your assigned dentist is before you schedule anywhere else.

Where Beverly Hills Dental fits

We are in-network with Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier . If your Kaiser dental card says either one, you are in-network at our Beverly Hills dental office and you get the contracted rate. Being contracted in both networks is the useful part, because it means either card lands you in the same place.

We aren’t able to accept DeltaCare USA, Kaiser Senior Advantage or other Medicare dental plans — and we’d much rather tell you that kindly now than at the front desk after you’ve taken time off work. If one of those is your coverage, you’re still welcome to see us as a private patient, and our membership plan makes routine care more affordable without the hoops of insurance.

We’re also in-network with Cigna, MetLife, Guardian and Aetna PPO plans. If you have a PPO plan we aren’t contracted with, we’ll bill it out-of-network as a courtesy so you can still use your benefits with us. If you have no dental coverage, ask about our membership plan.

When to see a dentist

A coverage question is one of the more common reasons a visit gets postponed longer than anyone intended. Book a visit if it has been more than six months since your last cleaning, if a tooth is sensitive to hot or cold, if your gums bleed when you brush, or if something has changed and you cannot say exactly what. Preventive visits catch problems while they are still small and cheap, which is the whole reason dental benefits exist in the first place.

Call or text 310-278-6630 with your plan details and we will verify your coverage before you come in, then tell you in plain language what it means.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kaiser Permanente include dental coverage in California?

Not as part of a standard Kaiser medical plan. Adult dental in California is a separate plan you add, and Kaiser does not operate its own dental offices. Kaiser’s California dental plans are administered by Delta Dental of California, which is why your dental card says Delta Dental.

Can I use my Kaiser dental plan at any dentist?

It depends on the plan type. Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier plans let you choose any contracted dentist in that network. DeltaCare USA is a dental HMO that assigns you to one specific office, and care elsewhere is generally not covered except in an emergency.

Is Beverly Hills Dental in-network with Kaiser dental plans?

We are in-network with Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier, which covers most Kaiser dental plans in California. We aren’t able to accept DeltaCare USA, Kaiser Senior Advantage or other Medicare dental plans, but our membership plan is there if that’s your coverage. Call 310-278-6630 and we will verify your card.

What is the difference between Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier?

Both are contracted networks, so your dentist cannot bill you above the agreed fee for covered services. Premier is the larger network with somewhat higher contracted fees. PPO usually leaves you with a lower out-of-pocket cost. We are contracted in both, so either card works at our Beverly Hills office.

Does Kaiser Senior Advantage cover dental in California?

Kaiser Senior Advantage members can add an optional dental benefit that runs on the DeltaCare USA Medicare plan. It is a dental HMO with an assigned dental office, and out-of-network care is generally not covered without prior approval. We aren’t able to accept that plan, but you’re welcome to see us as a private patient.

What if you are not in my dental network?

We bill out-of-network PPO plans as a courtesy, so you can often still use your benefits at our Beverly Hills dental office while we handle the paperwork. If you have no dental coverage, or a dental HMO plan we aren’t able to bill, ask about our in-office membership plan.

Kaiser dental in California is a Delta Dental plan, and the plan type on your card decides where you can go. If it says PPO or Premier, you are in-network with us. And if you would rather not decode any of this on your own, you do not have to. Call or text Beverly Hills Dental at 310-278-6630, or stop by 414 N Camden Dr #925 in Beverly Hills, and we will sort out the coverage question before you sit in a chair.

Beverly Hills Dental is an independent dental practice. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser Permanente is a registered trademark of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.