Category: Employers

Did you know that oral health plays an important role in overall well-being and can promote a healthy workplace? Research has shown a strong connection between poor dental hygiene and a multitude of serious health conditions. For example, gum disease has been linked to cardiovascular disease, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes and pneumonia. So, when an employee starts neglecting their teeth, they could be increasing their risk of experiencing other health problems.

But how does this affect the workplace?

Believe it or not, dental work can directly impact your employees, and thus, your company as a whole. Whether someone experiences a minor toothache or a major dental problem, oral issues can account for lack of productivity, missed work days and poor employee morale. All of which can lead to increased costs for your company. And with the majority of adults having a cavity at least once in their lifetime, it’s likely that many of your employees can benefit from having easy and accessible dental care. At Dental Select, we believe that good oral health is essential for creating a healthy, happy workplace.

When your employees utilize their Dental Select benefits, preventive care is included. That means twice a year check ups and cleanings that can help protect them from health problems and diseases. And if you aren’t sure what’s included in your company’s dental plan, give us a call or contact us. We’d be happy to review it with you and answer any questions. Together, we can encourage a well-established oral care routine that can help lower the risk of serious diseases, avoid costly dental procedures and keep your company healthy.

As a group administrator, you are probably all too familiar with that time of year when employees sign up for benefits – also known as the open enrollment period. But did you know there are instances where employees and their family members can enroll outside of this period? This special enrollment period takes place when an employee experiences a qualifying event. Basically, when an employee undergoes certain life events, they are automatically eligible for health benefits. So what are the other differences between open enrollment and qualifying events? It’s always good to review, so let’s break them down.

QUALIFYING EVENTS

Specific qualifying events will grant your employees a special eligibility period. During this time, they can sign up for or change existing benefits outside of the usual open enrollment cycle. The 30-day period begins on the date of the qualifying event and requires all changes to be submitted to and authorized by the employer.

Qualifying events include any of the following:

– Marriage, divorce or legal separation

– Birth or adoption of a child

– Death of insured

– Loss of other coverage or gaining coverage

– Loss of employment or new employment

OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD

Open Enrollment Period is the only time during the year that employees can enroll or change benefits without a qualifying event. Open enrollment occurs on a yearly basis, generally the same time of year, and will have a specified deadline that your company chooses. During this time, your employees can enroll on insurance plans, or make changes to their current plan. As a reminder, any elections or changes need to be submitted by the last day of open enrollment. From there, these submissions will be in place by your company’s next effective date.

Still have a question about when your employees can enroll? Feel free to contact a Dental Select representative at 800-999-9789 and we’d be happy to help.

Dental Select CEO, Brent Williams, joined a panel of healthcare luminaries to discuss a wide variety of health and wellness issues on Monday, October 17th, for the 2016 Utah Business Healthcare Roundtable.

This year’s roundtable was hosted by Holland & Hart and moderated by Dave Gessel, who is the Executive Vice President for the Utah Hospital Association. Multiple items were discussed, including the topic of educating the public about health insurance.

“People put more research into buying a mobile phone than they will into healthcare,” Williams said. “Which one do you think will be more important in their lifetime?”

Williams went on to add, “It really all comes back to education. We have an obligation to help the public understand what is available to them.”

To that end, Dental Select has been working on various projects and initiatives to help educate its members, groups, brokers, and providers. With a goal of simplifying plan designs, as well as becoming more transparent with the information, Dental Select aims to help all clients make the best possible decision for their health. While other insurance companies may have forgot or lost sight of why they exist, Dental Select’s mantra is to simplify and educate one’s way to better health.

With that in mind, and recognizing that simple and easy-to-use technology is crucial to the user experience, Dental Select announced the roll out of their new benefits and claims management system – launching in 2017. The new, enhanced system, along with the Dental Select smartphone app, will feature a complete redesign of the web portal, making it easier for members to enroll, view claims, and review invoices, all in the convenience of one location.

For regular updates, continue to check your inbox and dentalselect.com for more information.

Enrollment usually only happens once a year, so we don’t expect you to remember everything. We’re here to keep things easy and simple. Brush up on these FAQs to see how we can help your company through the annual enrollment process.

Q:  If we need to send employee information, remind me how we can submit this?

We like giving you options. That’s why we have four different enrollment options. Choose which one works best for you and we will work alongside you to get employees signed up.

1- Manual enrollment (paper enrollment form)

2- Electronic EDI Enrollment (submitting an 834 HIPPA compliant file for upload)

3- Web Portal Administration (initial 834 file upload, manual group administration via portal)

4- Spreadsheet Enrollment (excel spreadsheet, emailed)

Q: What is the benefit of using the web portal?

If you prefer managing administration online, our web portal may be right for you. Not only can you pay invoices, but you can instantly add, change or cancel an employee’s membership. Here are some other great features our portal offers:

-View and pay invoices (EFT)

-Employee and dependent enrollment, reinstatement or termination

-Make changes to an employee’s plan

-Order ID cards, instantly print a temporary card

-Update an employee’s personal information

-Add or edit coordination of benefit (COB) information

Q: Who can change enrollment or eligibility information?

A: Depending on the type of information, both you (employers) and employees can add or request to change eligibility information. This can be done by logging into the web portal or filling out the Employee Change Form. All changes/updates must comply with eligibility guidelines.

Q: How long do new employees have to enroll?

A:  Your new employees and their dependents have 30 days to enroll from the time they are eligible to receive benefits. If the employee chooses not to enroll, they can wait until next year’s open enrollment or they may enroll within 30 days of a qualifying event. ID cards will be sent approximately 7 – 10 days from the time we process enrollment information.

Q: What is considered a qualifying event?

A: A qualifying event can be marriage, divorce or legal separation, birth of a child or adoption of a child, loss of employment, new employment, loss of other coverage or gaining coverage, or death of insured.

Q: When I add an employee, how long does it take for this change to go in effect?

A: Any added employees will be effective the first day of the month (after any applicable waiting periods).

Q: What about cancellations? How long do those take?

A: Cancellations are made at the end of the month.

As a reminder, Dental Select’s cancellation policy is as follows: When cancelling an employee, the effective date of change must be the final day of the last covered month. A member can be cancelled back to the 1st of the current month only when Dental Select receives the cancellation notice on or before the 15th of that month. If Dental Select receives the cancellation notice after the 15th of the month, member will be cancelled the last day of that month. As long as no claims have been processed, a member may be cancelled back two (2) months.

AFTER REVIEWING YOUR COMPANY’S BENEFITS, HERE’S WHAT TO DO NEXT.

• HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER:

• There are three easy steps to begin using your vision benefits.
  1: Complete the enrollment form, and return to your company’s benefit representative.
  2: Receive or download your ID cards. Keep in mind, your dentist can always verify eligibility by contacting us on your behalf.
  3: Make your appointment and start seeing how much you can save.

ID cards will be mailed to either you or your company (as chosen) in approximately 7 – 10 working days after enrollment information is received. If you lose your ID cards, you can access them through the portal or by downloading our mobile ID card app.

WHAT IS OPEN ENROLLMENT?

This is the time period that you can enroll or make necessary changes to your plan. Your employer will choose a specific deadline for open enrollment, which occurs on a yearly basis. Ask your group representative what the deadline is to be sure you don’t miss the deadline.

GO MOBILE WITH OUR APP

Dental Select’s Mobile ID App ensures that you always have your dental or vision insurance information available just when you need it most. Covered members will have convenient 24/7 access right on their mobile device. You can easily view or send your card directly to any provider or dependent on your plan.

• View your  vision ID cards*
• Instantly email a copy of your ID card to your provider
• Access for any subscribers or dependents

* Initial access requires Member ID

After reviewing your company’s benefits, here’s what to do next.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER: 

There are three easy steps to begin using your dental benefits.
1: Complete the enrollment form, and return to your company’s benefit representative.
2: Receive or download your ID cards. Keep in mind, your dentist can always verify eligibility by contacting us on your behalf.
3: Make your appointment and start seeing how much you can save. Dental Select plan features include lower out-of-pocket costs and discounted rates.

ID cards will be mailed to either you or your company (as chosen) in approximately 7 – 10 working days after enrollment information is received. If you lose your ID cards, you can access them through the portal or by downloading our mobile ID card app.

WHAT IS OPEN ENROLLMENT?

This is the time period that you can enroll or make necessary changes to your plan. Your employer will choose a specific deadline for open enrollment, which occurs on a yearly basis. Ask your group representative what the deadline is to be sure you don’t miss the deadline.

GO MOBILE WITH OUR APP

Dental Select’s Mobile ID App ensures that you always have your dental or vision insurance information available just when you need it most. Covered members will have convenient 24/7 access right on their mobile device. You can easily view or send your card directly to any provider or dependent on your plan.

• Search for providers in your area
  View your dental and/or vision ID cards*
• Instantly email a copy of your ID card to your provider
  Access for any subscribers or dependents
  * Initial access requires Member ID

Nationwide Benefits. National Coverage.

For nearly three decades, Dental Select has offered something different—dental and vision plan flexibility combined with the long-lost touch of customer service that individuals and business crave. It’s our commitment to each of the 400,000 lives we cover every single day.

Now, we’re proud to extend that unique combination of dental plan flexibility and world-class service to more than 40 states across the country, with more to come. Plus it’s all backed by a nationwide provider network offering over 200,000 access points across the country. Meaning, no matter where you are in the United States, a Dental Select contracted provider is just around the corner.

It’s just part of what makes Dental Select the leader in national dental and vision benefits.

Providing top-quality vision benefits to your groups just got easier. In addition to being able to receive care and find eyewear at top retailers nationwide, Dental Select vision members can now use in-network benefits to order glasses online at Glasses.com. This convenient option makes buying glasses simple and fun! This service is free for every covered family member so you can feel free to buy glasses anytime, from anywhere; all it takes is some basic member information to apply benefits to your order. Visit Glasses.com to get started.

Use In-Network Benefits.

As an in-network vision partner, Glasses.com can automatically locate and apply benefits for our vision members. With just a name, date of birth, and zip code, benefits are applied and shopping can begin. Because benefits are already in place, prices shown are out-of-pocket costs only. Plus, with free lenses on all frames over $160, saving money on that perfect pair has never been easier.

It’s EASY:

– Enter a few pieces of information to apply your in-network vision benefits.

– Start shopping and choose from thousands of name-brand frames.

– Glasses.com will automatically apply in-network benefits during checkout, and members will only pay any remaining out-of-pocket costs.

– Not sure of your prescription? Just send Glasses.com a picture of it, or they can even call and request it from your provider.

– Orders are fulfilled and shipped the following day – with free shipping both ways, and free lenses on all frame over $160.

It’s FUN!

Download the Glasses.com 3D-Virtual Try-On app to try on thousands of pairs of glasses and sunglasses without ever leaving your couch. This award-winning technology allows you to upload your photo and virtually try on any pair of glasses to see how they look from every angle. You can even share your image on social media to get the opinion of your family and friends. The app is available for iPad and iPhone users.

Members can also test drive a new pair of frames using Glasses.com’s 15-day In-Home Try-On program, which includes single-vision prescription lenses. If members fall in love with a pair, they can simply keep them and be billed at the end of the trial. Or send them back and try out a new pair. Either way, members are sure to find their own perfect pair, making it much easier to order glasses online.

Find Frames – Thousands of styles rendered instantly in 3D

View Any Angle – See how frames look from side to side

Share on Social Media – Get the opinion of family & friends

You spoke and we listened. Recently, Dental Select conducted a survey to find what matters most to our clients. Based on your feedback, the majority of our brokers expressed the need for credit card payment capabilities when submitting group binder checks. We understand the need for faster and easier processing, which is why we are now pleased to offer a one-time electronic payment option when submitting new groups.

How does it work?

1). At the time of your new group application, please fill out the binder electronic authorization form, which can be found here.

2). Complete the top section with your credit card information, which will authorize Dental Select to withdraw a one-time initial payment for your group’s binder check.

3). On the bottom section of the form, you will be asked how you wish to be billed for future payments. You can select the invoice option or bank withdrawal payments.

4). Once completed, please include the form with your new group application.

Questions?

Please contact your Dental Select Sales Executive for additional assistance.