At the end of the day, if your clients are happy, you’re happy. When advising your groups on dental benefits, it might seem like a dental plan embedded with a medical plan would be an easier option, but will it offer everything that a standalone dental plan (SADP) can?

When medical and dental are combined, it might seem as if employees receive total care, but that isn't always the case. When dental is embedded with medical, consider the following:

Adults are often excluded from coverage—embedded dental plans sometimes focus on pediatric dentistry because it is listed as an Essential Health Benefit (EHB) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The deductible for the medical benefits can sometimes include dental as well, meaning that a member might have to pay the full medical deductible before their dental benefits are paid out.

There are many benefits to having a standalone dental plan—all of which should lead to more satisfied clients for your business.

What are the benefits of an SADP?

Not only does dental insurance have relatively low premiums, they’ve remained stable over the past five years, with changes ranging from 0.4 percent to 1.5 percent. Also, the plan deductible is for dental care only and is considerably lower than a medical deductible.

With certain types of dental plans, members pay either a flat copayment for covered services, or what’s known as coinsurance—a percentage of the total charge. Member cost-sharing for covered dental procedures is often lower with a standalone plan. 

Standalone plans often have a wider variety of covered services than embedded plans, meaning that your clients will have more options based on their unique health needs. With a rise in cosmetic dentistry procedures among millennials, offering a comprehensive plan that covers services like teeth whitening will help appeal to a demographic that isn’t always on top of its oral health.

With an SADP, oral health is the main focus. Oral health impacts overall health. A standalone dental carrier has the focus and the resources to teach your clients about best practices for good dental health.

There may be convenience to combining medical and dental plans, but there are benefits of standalone dental plans. Convenience does not always lead to the best solution. When advising your groups on employee packages, it is important to look at the whole picture to find the best benefits to your employees.