When it comes to dental hygiene and overall oral health, there is nothing more important than regular checkups with a dentist, but without dental coverage affording consistent preventative visits can be a struggle.
June is oral health month, the perfect time for business owners to look at their dental coverage and evaluate if they are offering employees all the benefits they need to remain healthy.
Employers can add dental coverage to their plan at any time during the year; they do not need to wait for their health plan renewal. ClaimLinx will consult with any client on the best option to fit a company’s needs and budget.
One option is to set up a traditional supplemental insurance policy for dental coverage through a major carrier, such as Guardian, Aflac, National General, Delta Dental and more. Another is to use ClaimLinx’s third party administrator services to set up a self-funded dental plan in which employees are reimbursed for qualifying expenses.
The American Dental Association recommends people brush their teeth at least twice per day, floss at least once per day and visit the dentist twice per year for a cleaning and checkup.
Twice annual visits are especially important, because they keep oral health costs low by treating an issue before it escalates. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on preventative care, a person can save between $8-$50 in restorative and emergency treatments, according to a study at the University of Illinois.
But many Americans are forced to put off these visits or early treatment because of out-of-pocket costs or because they do not have dental coverage at all. The same study estimates 1 in 4 American adults have untreated tooth decay.
Offering dental benefits can often be a simple and relatively inexpensive way to improve overall health coverage, which gives employees the peace of mind and fiscal confidence to continue consistent checkups. It is the best way to ensure one of your employees does not become one of the 36% of American adults that has gone more than one year without a dental checkup, according to the Center for Disease Control.
Contact sales@claimlinx.com if you would like to start a conversation about your company’s dental coverage.
That was a great article on dental coverage for promoting dental health.