Buying Dental/Vision Insurance for Your Small Business | 10 Key Questions to Ask 

So you’re a small business owner ready to attract and keep top talent by adding dental and vision coverage to your employee benefits package.

Congratulations. Providing attractive employee benefits can result  in big payoffs for your small business, sometimes even more than raising wages or paying cash bonuses. 

However, if you’ve never chosen an insurance carrier before, the process can feel overwhelming. What questions should you ask to ensure you select the right dental and vision plans for your employees? 

Here is a list of important topics to clarify.

10 Questions to Ask When Shopping for a Dental/Vision Insurer For a Small Business

1. How large is the carrier’s provider network?
   • Obtaining dental or vision care from in-network providers typically results in cost savings for your employees. A large dental network covers an extensive geographical area and includes general dentists and specialists, such as pediatric dentists and orthodontists. A large vision network will include local private eye care practices plus retail outlets and even online options.
   • If your business is local and you have a handful of employees—and they all happen to be young singles—a large network might not be as crucial. But if your staff is demographically diverse and spread out, an extensive provider network is probably a must.
   • Action: Ask the carrier for a detailed network map or list.
2. Where are the network providers located?
   • Verify if participating dentists and eye doctors are conveniently located near work or your employees’ homes. Also check if they are accepting new patients.
   • Action: Request an online provider directory and do some spot-checking.
3. What support does the carrier offer to its network providers?
   • Insurance companies that offer education and training tools to their network providers tend to have highly productive partnerships.
   • Action: Ask the carrier how they support their participating dentists and eye doctors.
4. Are there any application fees, service fees or paper billing fees?
   • Besides the monthly premiums and benefit schedules, there may be additional costs.
   • Action: As about extra fees and obtain a written quote.
5. How will the carrier bill me?
   • Policy premium payments can be billed in different ways, such as directly to you, to your agent or broker, monthly or quarterly.
   • Action: Find out the billing method and choose what fits best with your cash flow. 
6. Does the carrier allow their contracted network providers to balance bill patients?
   • Balance billing occurs when a participating network dentist or eye doctor bills the patient for the difference between the amount they charge and the amount allowed by the insurance. Most insurance companies don’t allow balance billing within their network, but out-of-network providers might balance bill.
   • Action: Clarify the carrier’s policy on balance billing.
7. Does the insurance carrier outsource the processing of claims and customer service?
   • Some insurance companies handle claims processing and customer service in-house while others contract with third parties. Both approaches can work very well.
   • Action: Test the plan from your employees’ perspective by calling customer service to evaluate the ease of access and support quality. How long are the hold times? Is customer service available in languages other than English? Are there extended customer service hours to ensure plenty of opportunities to reach out for assistance? 
8. What online and mobile services does the carrier offer to providers and members?
   • Everybody values the 24/7 convenience and ease of online account access and information on their phones.
   • Action: Ask for a demonstration of the carrier’s digital tools and resources. Check for features like explanations of benefits, mobile-friendliness and the availability of a mobile app.
9. Will an account manager be assigned to your business, and how experienced are they?
   • An experienced account manager who understands the unique needs of small businesses will be your main point of contact. They will advocate for your goals and facilitate communication.
   • Action: As the carrier about the account manager assignment process and their experience with small businesses.
10. What administrative services will be provided at no cost?

• Your needs might include customer support, technical assistance, product education and more. It’s essential to know which services are complimentary and which incur additional costs.
• Action: Ask upfront which administrative services will be provided free of charge and which ones incur costs.

Using these questions as a guide, compare the quotes from several insurance carriers. Don’t hesitate to ask additional questions and ask for references.

And always:

Check out Dental and Vision Insurance by Delta Dental of Arkansas

We offer

• Arkansas’s largest network of dental providers
• One of the state’s largest network of vision providers
• A portfolio of dental and vision plans specifically designed for small businesses
• Competitive rates
• The Delta Dental Difference®. 

Please find all the details here and then call or send us an email. We can’t wait to meet you.