NEW YORK CITY--EmblemHealth has launched three new freestanding dental products that permit customers to tailor dental coverage to their individual needs and budgets.
The products, which are built upon Group Health Incorporated commercial PPO dental products, are being introduced this summer for fourth quarter sales. GHI is an EmblemHealth company.
According to DeWitt Smith, senior vice president of marketing for EmblemHealth, GHI has been administering dental benefits since the 1950s. Its commercial PPO dental products have more than 540,000 members.
"Too often, off-the-shelf plans offer the wrong mix of benefits and are priced out of reach for many groups," said Smith, "In these economic times, we felt it was important to develop dental plans that are simple to administer and offer affordable, easy access to quality care regardless of group size or financial resources."
The plans permit customers to choose from a menu of product designs, cost-sharing options and price points. Offerings address the diverse types of age-specific care required by a typical group, including preventive treatments for children, orthodontia, and restorative services. Plans offer members access to covered services in or out-of-network with no gatekeeper approvals or referrals required.
The Dental Access Program features 100% co-insurance for in-network insurance benefits for covered preventive and diagnostic dental care to encourage regular dental visits, as well as crown, bridge and denture repair, and discounted fees from network providers for more costly procedures.
Members have access to more than 5,000 participating dental practitioners in New York and New Jersey. The plan also provides out-of-network, insured benefits for preventive and diagnostic care, and crown, bridge and denture repair, paid at the network fee level.
The Preferred Program also offers 100% co-insurance for network insured benefits for covered preventive and diagnostic dental care to encourage regular dental visits, and deep network discounts to provide affordable, 100-percent insurance coverage for all covered basic and major dental services.
Members have access to more than 6,100 participating dental practitioners in New York and New Jersey, and out-of network insured benefits for covered services are paid at the in-network fee level. The plan also offers a rollover feature for annual benefits maximum.
The Preferred Plus Program offers traditional dental benefits with patient cost sharing and a network of general dentist and specialists more than 25 percent larger than the Preferred network.
Members have access to a range of reimbursement levels for services received out-of-network, and more than 7,500 participating dental practitioners in New York and New Jersey. Coverage is available through a nationwide network, as well as a rollover feature for annual benefits maximum.
Each of the plans is available to groups on a contributory or voluntary basis. To meet the needs of businesses of varying sizes, EmblemHealth offers options for both large and small groups.
Contributory plans are available to groups with as few as two eligible members with a range of group and member cost-sharing arrangements. Voluntary plans are available to groups with as few as five eligible members, where the entire cost of coverage is passed along to the members who pay rates that are lower than those available to individual consumers.
Self-insured groups with 250 or more eligible members can choose to have EmblemHealth administer their dental plan.
"Dental coverage can make a difference in the overall health of a business' employees, said Dr. Joan Waldron, managing director of dental management at EmblemHealth. "It has become increasingly apparent that dental checkups can spot early symptoms of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and adverse pregnancy. They are a key ingredient in preventive care and keeping employees healthy over time."
For more information, visit EmblemHealth.
To read more about dental plans, go to dental plans.
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