Dental Care Plan The Welfare Plan will include a Dental Care Plan which will reimburse members for expenses incurred in respect of the coverages summarized in Appendix "1". The Plan will not duplicate benefits provided now or which may be provided in the future by any government program.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME), Medical Supplies, Prosthetic Devices, Enteral Formula or Food, and Hair Prosthesis (Wigs) This plan covers durable medical equipment and supplies, prosthetic devices and enteral formula or food as described in this section. DME is equipment which: • can withstand repeated use; • is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose; • is not useful to a person in the absence of an illness or injury; and • is for use in the home. DME includes supplies necessary for the effective use of the equipment. This plan covers the following DME: • wheelchairs, hospital beds, and other DME items used only for medical treatment; and • replacement of purchased equipment which is needed due to a change in your medical condition or if the device is not functional, no longer under warranty, or cannot be repaired. DME may be classified as a rental item or a purchased item. In most cases, this plan only pays for a rental DME up to our allowance for a purchased DME. Repairs and supplies for rental DME are included in the rental allowance. Medical supplies are consumable supplies that are disposable and not intended for re- use. Medical supplies require an order by a physician and must be essential for the care or treatment of an illness, injury, or congenital defect. Covered medical supplies include: • essential accessories such as hoses, tubes and mouthpieces for use with medically necessary DME (these accessories are included as part of the rental allowance for rented DME); • catheters, colostomy and ileostomy supplies, irrigation trays and surgical dressings; and • respiratory therapy equipment. This plan covers diabetic equipment and supplies for the treatment of diabetes in accordance with R.I. General Law §27-20-30. Covered diabetic equipment and supplies include: • therapeutic or molded shoes and inserts for custom-molded shoes for the prevention of amputation; • blood glucose monitors including those with special features for the legally blind, external insulin infusion pumps and accessories, insulin infusion devices and injection aids; and • lancets and test strips for glucose monitors including those with special features for the legally blind, and infusion sets for external insulin pumps. The amount you pay differs based on whether the equipment and supplies are bought from a durable medical equipment provider or from a pharmacy. See the Summary of Pharmacy Benefits and the Summary of Medical Benefits for details. Coverage for some diabetic equipment and supplies may only be available from either a DME provider or from a pharmacy. Visit our website to determine if this is applicable or call our Customer Service Department. Prosthetic devices replace or substitute all or part of an internal body part, including contiguous tissue, or replace all or part of the function of a permanently inoperative or malfunctioning body part and alleviate functional loss or impairment due to an illness, injury or congenital defect. Prosthetic devices do not include dental prosthetics. This plan covers the following prosthetic devices as required under R.I. General Law § 27-20-52: • prosthetic appliances such as artificial limbs, breasts, larynxes and eyes; • replacement or adjustment of prosthetic appliances if there is a change in your medical condition or if the device is not functional, no longer under warranty and cannot be repaired; • devices, accessories, batteries and supplies necessary for prosthetic devices; • orthopedic braces except corrective shoes and orthotic devices used in connection with footwear; and • breast prosthesis following a mastectomy, in accordance with the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 and R.I. General Law 27-20-29. The prosthetic device must be ordered or provided by a physician, or by a provider under the direction of a physician. When you are prescribed a prosthetic device as an inpatient and it is billed by a provider other than the hospital where you are an inpatient, the outpatient benefit limit will apply. Enteral formula or food is nutrition that is absorbed through the intestinal tract, whether delivered through a feeding tube or taken orally. Enteral nutrition is covered when it is the sole source of nutrition and prescribed by the physician for home use. In accordance with R.I. General Law §27-20-56, this plan covers enteral formula taken orally for the treatment of: • malabsorption caused by Crohn’s Disease; • ulcerative colitis; • gastroesophageal reflux; • chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction; and • inherited diseases of amino acids and organic acids. Food products modified to be low protein are covered for the treatment of inherited diseases of amino acids and organic acids. Preauthorization may be required. The amount that you pay may differ depending on whether the nutrition is delivered through a feeding tube or taken orally. When enteral formula is delivered through a feeding tube, associated supplies are also covered. This plan covers hair prosthetics (wigs) worn for hair loss suffered as a result of cancer treatment in accordance with R.I. General Law § 27-20-54 and subject to the benefit limit and copayment listed in the Summary of Medical Benefits. This plan will reimburse the lesser of the provider’s charge or the benefit limit shown in the Summary of Medical Benefits. If the provider’s charge is more than the benefit limit, you are responsible for paying any difference. This plan covers Early Intervention Services in accordance with R.I. General Law §27- 20-50. Early Intervention Services are educational, developmental, health, and social services provided to children from birth to thirty-six (36) months. The child must be certified by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) to enroll in an approved Early Intervention Services program. Services must be provided by a licensed Early Intervention provider and rendered to a Rhode Island resident. Members not living in Rhode Island may seek services from the state in which they reside; however, those services are not covered under this plan. Early Intervention Services as defined by DHS include but are not limited to the following: • speech and language therapy; • physical and occupational therapy; • evaluation; • case management; • nutrition; • service plan development and review; • nursing services; and • assistive technology services and devices.
Dental Care a. Dental Care for Members over age 19 is limited to the following:
i. care and stabilization treatment rendered within 62 days of an Accidental Dental Injury provided such services are for the treatment of damage to Sound Natural Teeth;
ii. extraction of teeth required prior to radiation therapy when you have a diagnosis of cancer of the head or neck.
b. General anesthesia and hospitalization services are covered when required to assure the safe delivery of necessary dental treatment or surgery for a dental Condition which, if left untreated, is likely to result in a medical Condition if:
i. a Member has one or more medical Conditions that would create significant or undue medical risk for the Member in the course of delivery of any necessary dental treatment or surgery if not rendered in a Hospital or Ambulatory Surgery Center; or
ii. a Covered Dependent child is under eight years of age and it is determined by a licensed dentist and the Covered Dependent’s Attending Physician that dental treatment or surgery in a Hospital or Ambulatory Surgery Center is necessary due to a significantly complex dental Condition, or a developmental disability in which patient management in the dental office has proven to be ineffective.
Leave for Medical and Dental Care (a) Where it is not possible to schedule medical and/or dental appointments or appointments with a registered midwife outside regularly scheduled working hours, reasonable time off for such appointments for employees or for dependent children shall be permitted, but where any such absence exceeds two hours, the full-time absence shall be charged to the entitlement described in Clause 20.12. "Medical, dental and/or registered midwife appointments" include only those services covered by the BC Medical Services Plan, the Public Service Dental Plan, the Extended Health Benefit Plan and assessment appointments with the Employee and Family Assistance Program.
(b) Employees in areas where adequate medical and dental facilities are not available shall be allowed to deduct from their credit described in Clause 20.12 the necessary time including travel and treatment time up to a maximum of three days to receive medical and dental care at the nearest medical centre for the employee, their spouse, dependent child and a dependent parent permanently residing in the employee's household or with whom the employee permanently resides. The Employer may request a certificate of a qualified medical or dental practitioner, as the case may be, stating that treatment could not be provided by facilities or services available at the employee's place of residence. An employee on leave provided by this clause shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable receipted expenses for accommodation and travel to a maximum of $510 effective April 1, 2019, $520 effective April 1, 2020, and $530 effective April 1, 2021 per calendar year.
(c) An employee otherwise entitled to leave pursuant to (b) above who chooses to travel on a vacation day or a day of rest or to remain at work and not accompany their spouse, dependent child or dependent parent, as provided in (b) above, may claim the reimbursement of receipted expenses under the conditions stipulated.
(d) Employees in receipt of STIIP benefits who would otherwise qualify for leave under this clause shall be eligible to claim expenses in the manner described above.
(e) Where leave pursuant to (b) above would be reduced, the Employer may approve airfare payment for the employee in lieu of the $510 effective April 1, 2019, $520 effective April 1, 2020, and $530 effective April 1, 2021 reimbursement, once per calendar year.
(f) For the purpose of this clause, "child" includes a child over the age of 18 residing in the employee's household who is permanently dependent on the employee due to mental or physical impairment.
Dental Services The following dental services are not covered, except as described under Dental Services in Section 3: • Dental injuries incurred as a result of biting or chewing. • General dental services including, but not limited to, extractions including full mouth extractions, prostheses, braces, operative restorations, fillings, frenectomies, medical or surgical treatment of dental caries, gingivitis, gingivectomy, impactions, periodontal surgery, non-surgical treatment of temporomandibular joint dysfunctions, including appliances or restorations necessary to increase vertical dimensions or to restore the occlusion. • Panorex x-rays or dental x-rays. • Orthodontic services, even if related to a covered surgery. • Dental appliances or devices. • Preparation of the mouth for dentures and dental or oral surgeries such as, but not limited to, the following: o apicoectomy, per tooth, first root; o alveolectomy including curettage of osteitis or sequestrectomy; o alveoloplasty, each quadrant; o complete surgical removal of inaccessible impacted mandibular tooth mesial surface; o excision of feberous tuberosities; o excision of hyperplastic alveolar mucosa, each quadrant; o operculectomy excision periocoronal tissues; o removal of partially bony impacted tooth; o removal of completely bony impacted tooth, with or without unusual surgical complications; o surgical removal of partial bony impaction; o surgical removal of impacted maxillary tooth; o surgical removal of residual tooth roots; and o vestibuloplasty with skin/mucosal graft and lowering the floor of the mouth. • The following dialysis services received in your home: o installing or modifying of electric power, water and sanitary disposal or charges for these services; o moving expenses for relocating the machine; o installation expenses not necessary to operate the machine; and o training in the operation of the dialysis machine when the training in the operation of the dialysis machine is billed as a separate service. • Dialysis services received in a physician’s office.
Radiation Therapy/Chemotherapy Services This plan covers chemotherapy and radiation services. This plan covers respiratory therapy services. When respiratory services are provided in your home, as part of a home care program, durable medical equipment, supplies, and oxygen are covered as a durable medical equipment service.
HEALTH CARE PLANS Notwithstanding the references to the Pacific Blue Cross Plans in this article, the parties agree that Employers, who are not currently providing benefits under the Pacific Blue Cross Plans may continue to provide the benefits through another carrier providing that the overall level of benefits is comparable to the level of benefits under the Pacific Blue Cross Plans.
Outpatient If you receive infusion therapy services in a hospital's outpatient unit, we cover the use of the treatment room, related supplies, and solutions. For prescription drug coverage, see Section 3.27
Durable Medical Equipment Durable Medical Equipment is equipment that is Medically Necessary for treatment of an illness or Accidental Injury or to prevent further deterioration. This equipment is designed for repeated use and used to treat a medical condition or illness, and includes items such as oxygen equipment, functional wheelchairs, and crutches. Durable Medical Equipment may require Prior Authorization. Only Durable Medical Equipment considered standard and/or basic as defined by nationally recognized guidelines are Covered.
Prosthodontics We Cover prosthodontic services as follows:
