According to the Society of Human Resource
Management (SHRM), fifty-seven percent of
business executives rate medical cost hikes
as their top concern. In response to the
needs of employers facing continued compression
of their health care dollars, CIGNA Dental
offers CIGNA Dental Care Value Plans. In
addition to assisting employers with rising
costs, they may also allow employers to offer
dental benefits for the first time. These
new plans offer employers the flexibility
to choose from four different coverage options
to help balance the dental coverage needs
of their workforce with their overall benefit
spending.
"Greater flexibility and options are
crucial to employers who must mind their
bottom line, but still remain competitive
in attracting and retaining employee talent
through comprehensive benefit offerings," said
Karen Rohan, president of CIGNA Dental.
In most cases, there are choices of materials
available to restore a tooth or replace missing
teeth. Under CIGNA Dental Care Value Plans,
employers can choose to limit coverage for
crowns and bridges to the less costly, professionally
accepted, necessary and appropriate method
of treatment for restoration or replacement
of teeth. This plan option is known as "alternative
treatment provisions" and members can
choose the alternate, more expensive, treatment
by paying the difference in cost.
In addition to alternative treatment provisions,
employers can determine whether to offer
coverage for specialty dental care or to
provide a less costly plan that gives employees
access to specialty discounts. Finally, employers
can also choose to implement a $5 office
visit fee. This flexibility allows employers
to choose one of the four following options
to meet their budgetary needs.
- A benefit plan that provides coverage
for specialty dental care, including orthodontics;
while limiting coverage of crowns and bridges
to the less costly, professionally accepted,
and appropriate method of treatment.
- A benefit plan that provides coverage
for specialty dental care, excluding orthodontics;
while limiting coverage of crowns and bridges
to the less costly, professionally accepted,
and appropriate method of treatment.
- A benefit plan that does not limit coverage
for crowns and bridges; but provides a
specialty discount instead of insurance
coverage for specialty dental care.
- A benefit plan that provides a specialty
discount instead of insurance coverage
for specialty dental care while limiting
coverage of crowns and bridges to the less
costly, professionally accepted, and appropriate
method of treatment.
CIGNA Dental Care Value Plans utilize the
CIGNA Dental HMO network of 24,900 dentists
at 5,645 facilities. Most preventive procedures
are covered at 100% giving members the confidence
that they can access dental care as needed.
These plans are designed to engage employees
in their dental care by providing information
on coverage options and related treatment
costs.
"We are pleased to add CIGNA Dental
Care Value Plans to our existing suite of
dental benefit products," Rohan added. "This
supports CIGNA Dental's mission to provide
our customers with flexible and innovative
products that meet the unique needs of their
workforces."
About CIGNA Dental
Based in Plantation, Florida, CIGNA Dental
meets the dental coverage needs of more
than 10.7 million members, and the employer
needs of more than one-third of all Fortune
100 companies. CIGNA Dental members access
care from one of the largest dental HMO
and dental PPO networks in the U.S., with
more than 74,500 DPPO dentists and 5,600
DHMO facilities (with 24,900 DHMO dentists).
CIGNA was one of the first insurance companies
to offer dental indemnity – introducing
its first plan in 1964 and became the first
national carrier to enter the Dental HMO
market.
