Benefit Strategies Archives - BeneCare Dental Plans

REIMBURSEMENT STRATEGIES – HOW THEY CAN AFFECT COST & DELIVERY OF CARE

September 9, 2024 by Mark Engleman

Photo of mother playing with her infant child.

OVERVIEW Healthcare payers have been trying to find the Goldilocks zone in a provider reimbursement model that helps improve access and lower cost while delivering high-quality care. The trick is paying providers fairly for their services without creating an incentive to over- or under-treat based on a payer’s reimbursement methodology. This article is a broad, … Read more

HOW UTILIZATION CAN STABILIZE COSTS

October 3, 2024March 6, 2023 by Mark Engleman

Young Asian girl smiling positive doing ok sign with hand and fingers. Successful expression symbolizes good oral health, a key to rate stabilization.

Summary BeneCare’s outcomes-based dental plans are designed to help remove the barriers to care that can suppress utilization. This encourages members to address accumulated need and consistently maintain preventive care. This creates a shift in the service distribution from treatment towards prevention, helping to lower cost trends and stabilizing premium rates over the long term. … Read more

BENECARE MAKES VIRTUAL VISITS A PERMANENT BENEFIT

September 7, 2022September 5, 2022 by Mark Engleman

Mother and child has a virtual visit with a dentist using a laptop while sitting at home on the couch.

BeneCare offers virtual dental visits (teledentistry) as a permanent benefit to all active members.

THREE KEYS TO BENDING THE COST CURVE

December 21, 2022June 30, 2022 by Mark Engleman

A roll bending machine illustrates bending a steel rod symbolizing the bending of the cost curve for dental benefits

By Patrice Ierardi, DMD, BeneCare Dental Director SUMMARY. On average cost trends in medical and dental care services have consistently outpaced inflation.[i] Utilization is one of the primary drivers, but reducing utilization strictly for cost-control reasons is not a long-term strategy towards achieving improved oral health outcomes. The key to making cost control a result … Read more

TIPS TO HELP AVOID SURPRISE DENTAL BILLS

May 8, 2024June 6, 2022 by Mark Engleman

African American woman has a perplexed look on her face as she looks at a surprise dental bill.

SUMMARY. Everyone wants to avoid surprise bills. And the “No Surprises Act,” which went into effect January 1, 2022, does not apply to excepted benefits such as stand-alone dental and vision plans.[i] The “No Surprises Act” (NSA) primarily applies to fully insured and self-funded medical plans, including grandfathered plans.[ii] So, how do members help avoid … Read more

PLAN DESIGN – BALANCING COST AND ACCESS

January 9, 2024April 5, 2022 by Mark Engleman

Feet of woman gymnast on balance beam competition metaphorically representing balance.

SUMMARY. Selecting the proper dental plan design is key to striking a balance between cost and access. The proper plan design can help mitigate costs while still providing access to care that is usable and offers the best value. DHMOs MAY NOT BE THE BEST VALUE. Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) plans may offer the … Read more

PREMIUM CREDIT PROGRAM – AN ALTERNATIVE TO LEVEL-FUNDING

August 24, 2022September 14, 2021 by Mark Engleman

The words, "medical loss ratio" is written on the keyboard button.

SUMMARY. Get the security, coverage, and predictability of a fixed premium dental plan and the potential savings usually only available to self-funded plans with BeneCare’s Premium Credit Program. This innovative plan design ensures qualified[1] groups that the large majority[2] of their premium dollars are used to pay for dental care services. If not, the group … Read more

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