Updated 52 seconds ago
Oct 31, 2024
Dental plans give employers something to smile about
Popular offering can help save money and boost employees’ overall health, according to benefits expert
Businesses are offering dental plans to promote employee wellbeing, as they increasingly seek to provide robust benefit packages that help attract, retain and boost satisfaction for employees.
“Offering dental plans has been common among employers for a while now, and they clearly see the value,” said Greg Puig, partner and head of group benefits at Sentinel Group, an employee benefits consultant based in Wakefield, Mass. “Employers definitely look to round out the benefits package they offer above and beyond health insurance, and dental often is the first place they look.”
Massachusetts’ largest not-for-profit health plan, which also is one of the largest dental benefit administrators in the state, reports growing demand for its dental offerings.
“Dental coverage has consistently been the No. 2 most-requested benefit behind medical coverage among employers for many years,” said Kevin Klein, dental sales and account management executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, noting coverage can offer a broad network and discounts on care of up to 40%.
The medical-dental connection
Dental benefits help employees improve their overall health and decrease medical costs, Puig noted.
“There’s a lot of evidence out there showing how improved oral health can help you improve your overall health,” he said, including chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
“Treatment of inflammation-related oral conditions, such as non-surgical periodontal treatment and extraction of infected teeth, can lead to a clinically significant decrease in blood glucose levels,” reported one widely cited 2019 Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice paper on diabetes and oral health care.
Klein says many of his customers see the connection too.
Many of our employer customers who have both medical and dental coverage with us realize meaningful savings on medical costs when employees with high-risk medical conditions get recommended dental care, especially cleanings and preventive visits.
Kevin Klein
Blue Cross also offers members with higher-risk medical conditions, such as diabetes or coronary artery disease, expanded dental coverage, including extra cleanings and exams.
Klein said these benefits are critical because they provide members with better overall health and well-being, prevent larger dental issues from cropping up in the future and generate substantial savings on medical costs for both the employee and their employer.
“We also know that employees are far more likely to get this important care if they have dental insurance,” he said.
Coverage that’s a competitive advantage
In a competitive market, Puig said, employers are finding value in offering dental plans that cover preventive services such as cleanings and X-rays, as well as curative services like fillings and crowns.
Dental really has become a necessary offering for employers to round out their benefits package and recruit and retain the people they need
Greg Puig
Surveys find more than 90% of Americans consider dental coverage to be a top benefit behind medical coverage.
Puig notes that employees especially like plans that offer distinct coverage for each family member and allow them to roll over some of their unused benefits to the following year.
In fact, Puig, said many employers are asking about dental coverage enhancements, including higher annual amounts of coverage, known as calendar year maximums, and increased coverage for orthodontics care.
In response, dental plans are continuing to offer new benefits. Last year, Blue Cross expanded coverage for members with mental health conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities, including additional preventive services, such as more frequent dental cleanings and fluoride treatments, at no charge.
The plan also began covering dental services such as fillings and pediatric crowns at no cost for children under 13 at eligible employer customers.
“Employees feel good when their employer provides good dental coverage for them,” said Klein, “particularly when they select a carrier with a strong brand, network and discounts on services that can spread their annual coverage even further.”
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