The more employees understand their dental benefits, the more satisfied they tend to be with their coverage. But most workers say they don’t get the information they need to better understand their plan design, service and how to best use their plan.
That’s the conclusion of “Elevating the Value of Dental Benefits Through Employee Communications,” a recent MetLife survey of 500 employees. Only about one in three employees “felt they have the information they need about their coverage to help them select a plan that is best for their needs.” And one in five said they had “no idea” about all the services that are or are not covered by the plan.
“This suggests that employers are not providing employees with the full range of communications, including plan information and decision-support tools that employees both need and want,” according to the research. “Or, perhaps, employers are not effective in making their employees aware of the communication resources available to them.”
MetLife, one of the nation’s largest commercial dental carriers, said the study offers employers insights into best practices for communicating benefits with workers. Filling the information gap can make a dental plan more successful and satisfying to employees, “which is especially relevant in today’s challenging economic environment, where employers are asking employees to share even more of the cost of their benefits.”
More detail
Putting into place a focused communications strategy is a relatively low-cost way for a company to help enhance a dental plan’s value to employees and is especially important when firms modify or redesign their plans, or when a new plan is introduced.
For management, there is no single magic button to push. “To improve communications, you have to resort to multiple information channels,” says Alan Vogel, DMD, national dental director for MetLife. These can include meetings, printed brochures, online resources, call centers and the inclusion of dental health issues in a company’s wellness program or newsletter. Getting the message across in plain language also is important, he says, noting that “we communicate in terms that are not familiar or clear to many people.”
Companies should be aware that employees want more detailed information about their dental plans, and that this extra effort to communicate may have positive results. At the initial enrollment, 73% of employees surveyed said they investigate at least one information resource, and spend at least 25 minutes on average making choices. At re-enrollment, workers spend a scant five minutes choosing from their plan options, and 62% say they don’t use any information sources to help guide their selection.
If changes have been made in the dental plan, a company should start the communication process by giving some advance notice to employees about these plan design changes prior to the re-enrollment, Vogel advises. “Give covered workers ample time to know there are plan changes, and make the changes obvious for employees to see,” he says. “Highlight them within the plan or add a separate section to show what changes have been made.”
Explain changes
It is also important to make plan changes supported by research and clearly explain the reasons behind the benefit change, so workers don’t automatically assume the plan alteration is just to save money. “Modification of plans is not always about reducing your costs, but redistributing dollars where the benefits offered are the most valuable,” Vogel says. For example, crowns are commonly replaced every five years, he notes. But these days most studies show that crowns properly diagnosed and placed can last 10 to 15 years. If a plan is redesigned to lengthen the replacement cycle, an employer can save money and use that savings to offer a richer plan, perhaps one that also covers tooth implants.
Moreover, this information can help employees make better choices about their dental benefits and oral health care needs. For example, by providing up-to-date health information, employees can be empowered to ask a dentist questions about the dental care being proposed so they can have a better appreciation about the value and costs of the service, and whether alternate procedures are available.
Another excellent way to communicate the latest findings on dental care to employees is through a Web site. MetLife has an easy-to-navigate Oral Health Library that contains information for consumers on issues ranging from the value of routine dental care and help limiting future expenses, to dental diseases and treatment procedures. The library was recently bolstered by the addition of information on the importance of oral health to overall health and the connections with diabetes, heart disease and smoking.
To download the research study, “Elevating the Value of Dental Benefits Through Employee Communications,” visit whymetlife.com/elevatingdental.
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company |
