Coverage changes more often than families expect: a job change, an annual renewal, a plan the employer switched, or Medi-Cal moving to a different managed care plan. None of it needs to disrupt your child's care, as long as the front desk finds out before the visit rather than during it.

Tell the office before you arrive

This is the whole point. A five minute phone call before the appointment prevents the most common unpleasant moment in a dental office, which is a family learning at the counter that the card in their hand is not the plan on file. Offices can verify coverage ahead of time, and they would much rather do it on a Tuesday than while your child is waiting.

What to have ready

  • The new card, front and back.
  • The subscriber name and date of birth, which is often a parent and not the child.
  • The plan start date, since a visit before that date bills differently.
  • The name of the old plan, so the office can retire it from the record.

Medi-Cal renewals

Medi-Cal coverage is renewed periodically, and a renewal can change which managed care plan a child is assigned to even when the coverage itself continues. If you received a renewal packet, act on it, and tell the dental office once it is resolved. Coverage that lapses for administrative reasons is the most avoidable kind of interruption there is.

If you are between plans

Do not cancel the visit as your first move. Call and say where things stand. There are usually options, including waiting a short time until the new plan is active, or coming in and handling billing once coverage is confirmed. The wrong move is silence, because that usually turns into a missed year.

Kids2Dentist and Medi-Cal

Our offices accept Medi-Cal and most major dental plans. Because plan networks change, the front desk verifies your specific plan before the visit rather than relying on a general list. If you want the answer before you book, call the office and ask them to check.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need a new appointment if the plan changed?

No. Keep the appointment and call ahead with the new information. The visit stays; only the billing details change.

What if I do not have the new card yet?

Bring what you have, including any letter or enrollment confirmation. Often the member number is enough for the office to verify coverage.

Will the treatment plan change with a different plan?

What is recommended for your child does not depend on the plan. What can change is the cost to you, and the front desk can walk you through it before anything is scheduled.

We just moved to the area. Where do we start?

Call the office closest to you with the card in hand. They can verify coverage and request records from the previous dentist in the same call.

The short version

Call before the visit with the new card in front of you. Coverage changes are routine; the only thing that turns them into a problem is finding out at the counter.