MetLife is offering a new dual-option dental plan for businesses with 25 to 499 employees designed to control costs, the insurer said. The base plan provides coverage for "services needed to maintain oral health," such as preventive exams, cleanings, x-rays, fluoride, sealants, and fillings.
Employees can opt for the enhanced plan if they would like more comprehensive coverage such as orthodontia services. The enhanced plan also provides lower out-of-pocket costs through lower deductibles and higher coinsurance reimbursement and annual maximums.
All plan participants have access to MetLife's provider network of more than 130,000 participating dentist locations and the freedom to see their choice of provider whether in-network or not. They also have access to the educational resources available in MetLife's online Oral Health Library.
While employees historically place dental coverage among their five most important workplace benefits, according to the 8th Annual MetLife Study of Employee Benefits Trends, small businesses are less likely to offer them than larger companies.
MetLife administers dental plans for more than 21 million people. "We have leveraged MetLife's current plan design flexibility to create an offering that addresses the current cost pressures facing smaller employers along with the oral health needs of their workforce," said Michael Schwartz, vice president of MetLife Dental Products. "We have termed this offering 'Back to the BASICs' because we see it as a way small businesses can provide employees with a valued benefit within a tight budget and allow employees to buy-up for more comprehensive coverage."
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