Dental And Vision Care: A Healthy Pairing

How to package the perfect pair to help with the bills

Most employees today expect companies to offer vision and dental insurance as part of a robust benefits package. In fact, according to the 2019-2020 Aflac WorkForces Report, dental and vision are the most in-demand benefits after health insurance.¹ Similar to how specific seasonings can bring out the flavors in a meal — it’s a pairing that works well together for a number of reasons. 
 

Providing vision and dental insurance along with additional supplemental insurance policies can be critical for talent attraction and retention, with more than one-third of employees (38%) saying an improved benefits package would help keep them in their job.¹ Additionally, regular vision and dental care can help prevent minor health issues from snowballing into larger concerns, helping mitigate medical expenses and keep employees at work. With that in mind, here are a few ways HR managers can help employees navigate their oral and optical health.   

Brighten up the Prospect of Preventative Care  

About 100 million Americans fail to see a dental professional each year despite the many benefits of regular exams.² However, letting dental issues go undiagnosed allows problems to intensify in a way that is often worse than sitting through treatment. For example, one study found that neglecting a root canal procedure could actually result in a bacterial infection in the brain.³ 

According to the CDC, 11 million Americans over age 12 need vision correction⁴ — but that is only one reason to get your eyes checked. Regular eye exams also help uncover eye diseases and other health issues early, helping prevent vision loss. 

Research also shows that oral and optical health go hand in hand. For instance, one U.S. study found that patients who had to undergo more dental work are also more likely to have glaucoma, even when other health factors were taken out of the equation.⁵ Similarly, some kinds of eye pain and headaches can be indicative of dental issues like clenching or grinding your teeth.⁶ 

So, when dental and vision issues go unchecked, there can be a financial crunch not only to employees, but also employers. In fact, poor worker health costs U.S. employers an estimated $530 billion a year, according to an analysis by the Integrated Benefits Institute.⁷

By providing dental and vision insurance, you encourage good oral and optical health with coverage for preventative care and more — often available at adjustable levels, allowing employees to select the coverage that suits their needs. An added bonus? Healthier employees are likely happier — and more productive on the job.

Package the Perfect Pair to Help With the Bills

Despite the fact that many companies continue to sweeten their benefits as a way to attract talent in today’s tight labor market, overall health care costs in America continue to grow at a rate that outpaces inflation and raises, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.⁸ As a result, employees today face higher annual health care premiums, and health insurance isn’t designed to cover everything. Worse yet: Not only employees — but their families — are feeling the pinch. One Aflac study found that over one-third (35%) of individuals with children had to postpone their own medical appointments due to medical cost concerns.⁹ 

One way to help employees get assistance with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover is supplemental insurance. For instance, supplemental dental and vision coverage — which is separate from the network coverage most people think of — allows policyholders to choose any provider they want and can work well when paired with network dental and vision insurance. 

Another way supplemental insurance can help cover the eyes and mouth? Accidents. You might think most injuries happen in tougher job industries, like construction sites. However, one study found that more than 40% of eye injuries happened while doing home repairs, yard work, cleaning, and cooking.¹⁰ Similarly, sports or recreational activities are connected to more than 40% of eye injuries yearly and up to 39% of all dental injuries.¹¹ Supplemental accident coverage pays the policyholder cash benefits directly unless otherwise assigned, that he or she can use as desired, including getting help with living expenses like rent, groceries or travel.

Go the Extra Mile With Communications Reminders 

Regular communication with workers is also an important component of making available top benefits options. HR managers can highlight their benefits, including vision and dental coverage, and how employees can best make use of their insurance. One way to do this is by regularly communicating with your workforce on the benefits available to them. In fact, more than one-third of employees (37%) say receiving more information about their benefits would make them feel more confident in their selection.¹

Since people absorb information in different ways, be sure to leverage a mix of communication tactics from emails and in-person presentations to educational videos and handouts. Fortunately, insurance companies like Aflac have the tools and resources for HR managers to use. This includes communication materials as well as secure technology for enrollment and administrative help, meaning HR managers, who are often busy juggling payroll, compliance and employee relations, do not have to add more work to their already overly full plates.

The Win-Win

Offering robust benefits not only encourages employees’ health, but a majority of workers (69%) said their benefits package is extremely or very important to their job satisfaction and impacts their work productivity (56%) and loyalty to their employer (56%).¹ Offering a top-quality benefits package that includes a dental, vision, and supplemental insurance can help keep employees healthy, happy, and financially secure. 

Good health and cost savings are another pairing we can all smile about.

Footnotes
Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton | Columbus, GA 31999.                                                 

Wendy Herndon is the Second Vice President of Product Launch and Adoption at Aflac. With more than 20 years of experience in this field, she is responsible for providing the overall strategy for all product-related launch, promotional and educational activities.   Visit www.aflac.com  Connect Wendy Herndon Follow @aflac