| Benefits
change Laughing gas not covered as anesthesia Dental pain is no laughing matter, and neither is getting stuck with the bill for dental-anesthesia. Avoid that painful expense by avoiding nitrous oxide — also known as “laughing gas.” Although initially it was listed as a covered general anesthesia in the information provided last year about the 1999-2003 PS&T contract, PEF has been informed that is not the case. According to GHI, the dental insurance carrier, it is not considered generally accepted dental practice to use nitrous oxide for anesthesia because it is an analgesic (painkiller) that does not produce loss of consciousness, as anesthesia does. Therefore, use of nitrous oxide as a general anesthesia is not a covered service under the GHI Preferred Dental Plan. However, the plan now covers general anesthesia given in a dentist’s office when it is administered by the dentist or oral surgeon performing the procedure. Under the previous contract anesthesia was covered for dental procedures only when it was administered by another provider, such as a nurse anesthetist. — Sherry Halbrook |