Health benefits are a major concern for most Americans. The open enrollment period for coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is winding down. That means time is running out to select a dental coverage for your small business under ACA. It is of the utmost importance to make sure your employees have access to dental benefits. Why?

Offering dental coverage provides an advantage to both you and your employees. Proper oral care is directly connected to overall health. Dental problems, left untreated, can lead to major health problems. This leads to unnecessary sick days and production loss for your business. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, more than 64 million work hours are lost due to improper dental care. Help your employees avoid this by considering the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). 

What is SHOP?

Healthcare.gov, the federal ACA Marketplace, describes SHOP as the resource for small business employers who want to provide health and dental coverage to members or employees “affordably, flexibly and conveniently.”

SHOP exchanges are “tailored for each state” and can be accessed at Healthcare.gov or state-run exchanges, like the New York State of Health (NYSOH) SHOP with groups or businesses with 50 or fewer full-time or equivalent employees being eligible.

Importance of Offering Benefits

Benefits aren’t just a nice thing to offer—they are a way to hire the best people and keep them:

• 69 percent of employees would make a job decision based on better benefits
• Benefits are considered “very important” for an employee’s feeling about their job and their employer for 59% of employees.

Other Option

If you missed the ACA window, you and your employees can sign up for individual dental plans with private coverage. This will allow you and your employees the opportunity to take care of your oral health. Encourage and educate your employees on their options for dental coverage.

Maintaining oral health is an integral part of your employee's lifestyle. Don't delay in providing dental benefits.