The figures were virtually unchanged from the 1994 NADP survey. Employers who manage dental benefits through a medical plan are paying for an additional level of administration. That forced one big buyer to change the way it bought coverage. When California added dental benefits to its managed Medicaid program, it did so through health plans that had contracts with the state. When contracts expired, the state went straight to the dental plans, cutting its premium and increasing benefits.
Small employers are more likely than large ones to purchase dental benefits through a health plan.
Usually, it's the president of the company who deals with benefits, but that's not the business he's in. If he makes widgets, he wants to worry about widgets. Larger employers tend to be more discriminating. Most shy away from dental coverage when offered as an add-on to a health plan because the benefits are usually limited to prevention and some restoration. Often, adding periodontics or orthodontics to the mix is less expensive through a stand-alone dental plan.