UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF
DENTAL BENEFITS
PARSIPPANY, NJ (December 6, 2005) – While
employers are under pressure to manage costs
and provide a competitive package of healthcare
benefits, employees are looking for flexibility
and good overall coverage. Dental insurance could
be the answer for many New Jersey companies feeling
the pressure from rising healthcare costs.
"Preventive oral health can save employers,
as well as employees, valuable time and money," said
Mark Nadeau, vice president of Marketing for
Delta Dental of New Jersey.
"Dental is one-tenth the cost of medical,
or a dime on the medical-coverage dollar bill.
That 10-cent investment could save employers
real dollars in the future."
According to the National Center for Health
Statistics, people with dental insurance visit
the dentist nearly twice as often as those without.
This is a significant statistic, considering
that annually dental illness accounts for more
than 164 million work hours lost nationally,
which can have a significant impact on productivity
in the workplace.
Giving more attention to preventive oral healthcare
could also significantly lower medical costs
down the road. A growing amount of clinical research
suggesting links between oral health and the
overall health of our bodies is making dental
coverage more important than ever. Other than
a clean and healthy smile, regular visits to
the dentist can result in the early detection
or possible prevention of gum disease, heart
disease, osteoporosis, premature birth, diabetes
and certain types of cancers. Over 8,000 people
die per year from oral cancer, and if detected
in a precancerous stage the disease can, in some
cases, be prevented. Delta Dental of New Jersey
does cover the brush biopsy procedure, which
can assist in detecting oral cancer.
The Right Questions to Ask a Potential Dental
Benefits Carrier
Employers
- What kind of access to network dentists will
our employees have?
- Can you guarantee a smooth and seamless implementation
that will not burden our benefits staff or
affect our employees and their families?
- Is a formal grievance policy in place for
employees who are unhappy with the dental work
they've received?
- What is the average amount of time your clients'
benefit administrators spend on managing the
dental account each month?
- How do you train your customer service people
regarding our contract?
- Do you have any "hidden" policies
that disallow something that other carriers
do not, and what type of problem will this
be for our employees?
Employees
- Is my dentist in your network? If not, how
can I nominate him/her for recruitment?
- Who do I call about a question? Does the
person I am speaking with have dental experience
or training?
- Can I access information via the Internet?
- What happens if I have a dental emergency?
- If I travel in the U.S. or overseas and I
need a dentist, is there a procedure I must
follow?
About Delta Dental of
New Jersey, Inc.
Delta Dental of New Jersey, Inc., is New Jersey’s
and Connecticut's leading dental benefits carrier,
providing coverage to more than one million people
through contracts with employers in New Jersey
and Connecticut. The Delta Dental system offers
seamless dental benefits administration for employer
groups throughout the country and the largest
network of credentialed dentists in the nation.
For more information visit us on the Web at www.deltadentalnj.com.
