The Affordable Care Act does not mandate dental health care coverage, and most regular health insurance policies does not include it. This creates an opportunity for employers, especially small businesses. If you run a business, there are good reasons to offer employees dental health insurance. There is no question that dental care is important. Although oral health problems are rarely life-threatening, they can seriously impair an individual’s efficiency and well-being. Some dental conditions can lead to more serious health problems.
A Competitive Advantage
The labor market is a competitive place for employers, especially when the economy is growing. This puts businesses in the position of having to aggressively recruit qualified workers. Employee benefits are a major part of the compensation packages employees look for. It is not unusual for job benefits to add 40 percent to personnel costs. The stakes are high because it typically costs tens of thousands of dollars to recruit and train a new employee. The most qualified workers usually go where they will receive the best benefits. For a small business, this is especially challenging. The business owner must find ways to effectively compete for talented people against larger firms that have extensive benefits programs. Dental health coverage is often overlooked. However, this option offers options that employees value, and the cost is something a small business can readily afford.
Employees Value Dental Coverage
Employees have a positive view of dental health coverage. In particular, workers in their 20s don’t expect to get sick. They are often unwilling to pay health insurance premiums. The same young people usually see value in dental coverage you provide. It is something they will use, at least to the extent of having a dental exam and teeth cleaning every year or get the occasional cavity filled. When you show employees that you are willing to invest in them, it builds morale and contributes to increased rate of job satisfaction. Your firm will have improved retention rates and associated reductions in expenditures for finding and hiring replacement workers.
Dental Plans Offer Affordable Choices
Dental health care plans provide your business with affordable options that contribute to employee wellness and efficiency. Although it is true that dental problems are low in risk as far as a person’s life is concerned, they can impair productivity. For example, sometimes an employee needs a dental extraction. Dental extractions Cottage Grove are how dentists often must treat infections or injured teeth. These conditions are accompanied by pain that is distracting and impairs the worker’s ability to function.
Typically, basic plans cover preventative care like teeth cleaning and annual exams. In addition, they help pay for fillings, root canals, dental extractions, crowns and dentures. Premium plans may include orthodontic treatments like braces.
Dental Plan Options
You can choose from three popular types of dental plans. Preferred provider organization plans give employees access to a network of dental care providers. PPO dentists offer discounted prices, and the insurer pays a larger proportion of the cost.
A dental health maintenance organization is similar to a PPO. However, participating dentists must charge for individual procedures according to a fixed fee schedule. Some plans pay 100 percent of the cost of certain basic procedures such as annual check-ups.
Dental discount plans are networks of dentists who offer participating patients reduced prices. However, payment must be made at the time a service is provided.
You may select dental a plan that also covers routine vision care or that offers prescription drug discounts. Employees value such options because coverage for vision care and medications is often excluded from standard health care insurance.
Conclusion
Firms must provide compensation packages that include substantial benefits in order to attract and keep qualified people. Dental health care coverage has a place in these compensation packages. Dental coverage is an option that combines low cost with a range of choices that allow you to select a plan that suits your business needs.
