Choosing the best dental plan for your employees can help your company save thousands of dollars or more in the coming years. Many people do not realize that oral health affects general health. Cavities, broken teeth and gum disease can worsen over time and lead to other medical conditions that cost more to treat later. There are multiple things you should think about when picking a new plan for your team.
Preventative Care
When you pick a dental plan that emphasizes restorative care over preventative care, it can cost you more money than you expected. Restorative care refers to treatments like dental implants and fillings that restore and treat dental and oral problems. Preventative care refers to the treatments and procedures that keep those problems from occurring. The plan you pick should include at least two cleanings each year and regular check ups. Those check ups allow the dentist to prevent cavities and other problems from occurring.
Recommended resource: 50 Most Affordable Small Colleges for a Human Resources Degree and HR Study 2016
Network Size
An HMO is a type of insurance plan that limits who you can see to those health care professionals working within a specific network. If you want to give your employees more options, you should look for a plan that has a large network. Dentists and orthodontists have the right to select which insurance plans they will accept. When you pick a plan that has a limited network, your employees may find that they cannot see their regular dentists under that policy. Plans with a limited network may charge employees to see a doctor outside of that network.
Pre-Existing Conditions
Whether this is the first dental plan you ever offered or your company needs a new plan, you’ll want to see if the dental plan covers any pre-existing conditions. A pre-existing condition is one that existed prior to the plan. This might include a cavity that needs filled, wisdom teeth that should come out or gum disease that requires extensive treatment. If the plan does not cover pre-existing conditions, your workers will need to pay out of pocket for their appointments as well as any treatments that they need.
Major Dental Coverage
Choosing the best dental plan also requires that you look at what the plan covers and whether it covers any type of major dental work. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), major dental work includes treatment for TMJ, dentures and dental implants. TMJ is a type of disorder that affects the mouth and jaw. It can cause a popping sound when the jaw moves and lead to pain and discomfort in the neck, head, back, shoulders, jaw and ears. Plans that cover major dental work can keep employees from feeling stressed and let them get treatment for problems that can affect their work.
Cost
The most important thing to consider when picking a dental plan for your workers is the overall cost. While you will want to think about the cost to your company’s bottom line, you also need to think about how much it will cost employees. If employees must pay a certain amount out of their own pockets before they get coverage, they may feel so stressed that it affects their work. Some plans will only cover a certain amount of procedures each year, which can keep employees from getting the medical help that they need too.
When you work in HR or own your own company, you need to provide employees with benefits such as health insurance and paid time off. Choosing the best dental plan can make your company more appealing to prospective employees and make existing employees want to stick with you.
