Segal Dental Survey Reveals Opportunities To Bite Down On Plan Costs, USA

The Segal Company recently conducted a Survey of Dental Coverage to determine the current state of that coverage. The survey reveals there are opportunities to reevaluate dental plan designs in order to lower costs and/or add value to dental coverage.


According to Vincent Graziano, Segal Vice President and Boston Office Health Practice Manager, "Analysis of a health fund's dental claims and utilization can provide insight into which plan design changes are most likely to yield savings. In addition, dental plan disease prevention measures may identify potentially costly medical conditions early enough for individuals to take action."


Graziano also points out: "A possible source of savings are dental vendor claim-paying fees. These fees have dropped over the years in response to competition and increased automation, which means that dental vendor requests for proposals (RFPs) can sometimes help to secure lower fees for dental claim adjudication services and dental network leasing services."


The survey notes that dental plan sponsors should consider the following strategies:


- Review covered procedures, exclusions and limitations,

- Implement network plans (i.e., dental maintenance organizations or dental provider organizations),

- Arrange for leasing an insurance company's dental network,

- Convert insured plans to self-insured plans, and

- Update schedules and price dental plan design changes.


The brief report presenting survey results, completed in late 2007, reports information for 340 group health plans and is available here


The Segal Company has been a leading, independent firm of benefit, compensation and human resources consultants since its founding in 1939. Segal is headquartered in New York and has more than 900 employees throughout the U.S. and in Canada. Clients include corporations, non-profit organizations, professional service firms, state and local governments and joint boards of trustees administering pension and health and welfare plans under the Taft-Hartley Act.

The Segal Company