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Dental Benefits Are Often Misunderstood, Underused

Dental Benefits Are Often Misunderstood, Underused
by Stephen Miller, CEBS

One in 4 employees who have dental insurance say they haven't been to the dentist in the past 12 months for regular checkups and routine cleanings due to cost, a new study shows. This indicates that employees may lack adequate understanding about their dental benefits, because dental plans typically cover preventive care, outside of any deductible, the study authors said.

While a majority of U.S. adults believe dental coverage is a "must-have" employee benefit, only half of employees feel that their employer provides enough information about what is covered under their plan, according to the 2017 dental research study by benefits provider Lincoln Financial Group, which received responses earlier this year from 1,000 adults across the U.S.

"Consumers may not be taking full advantage of their dental benefits due to a simple lack of knowledge about their insurance plans," said Christopher Stevens, head of dental product management at Radnor, Pa.-based Lincoln Financial. "Often, dental insurance will fully cover the cost of preventive care such as annual or biannual dental checkups and cleanings. If one-quarter of these individuals—who indicated they have dental coverage—responded that they aren't going to the dentist because of cost, they're probably not making that connection."

Among other survey findings:

• 65 percent of consumers want their employer to provide general information about what's covered by their dental insurance plan.
• 54 percent say they'd like their employer to provide a list of local in-network dentists.
• 34 percent say they would appreciate ratings or rankings of in-network dentists.

Older Workers Less Satisfied

Overall, just over half (51 percent) of respondents agreed that their employer was a good resource when they needed to understand exactly what their dental benefits cover, which suggests that employers should step up their communication about their plans, Stevens noted.

"The share of those satisfied with employer information declines steadily with age, in line with older workers' increased use of dental services," he pointed out. Among older Baby Boomers, for instance, just 34 percent agreed that their employer was a good resource for dental benefit information.

Addressing Misperceptions

"Sometimes people forget that they have dental coverage, or how imperative it is to go for regular treatment," said Scott Towers, president of the Eagan, Minn.-based dental division at Anthem, a national health insurance provider. "If you don't have a regular dentist that you see, you aren't getting those reminders that it's time for your next visit," he noted.

Read full article on SHRM.