TOP DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE OPTIONS IN 2023

Small business owners and HR managers working in what the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, classifies as a “small business” – those with 49 or fewer full-time employees – have a full plate.

And when it comes to determining the best choices for employee benefits such as health insurance coverage, the options, details, and various factors to be considered can be complex and time-consuming.

This holds true for additional benefits for dental and vision insurance options.

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THE BEST DENTAL INSURANCE COMPANIES IN 2023

Here are the best dental insurance companies as reviewed by Forbes Advisor, along with their top features:

Anthem – For out-of-network coverage
Guardian Direct – For price for benefits provided:
Ameritas – For no waiting periods
Delta Dental – For adult braces
Humana – For preventive care
Spirit Dental – For dental cleanings

Another reviewer, Investopedia, ranked these providers as their choices for the best dental insurance companies of 2023:

Cigna
Renaissance Dental
Spirit Dental
Humana
UnitedHealthOne

According to Forbes,

“A dental plan is typically separate from your health insurance plan. If receiving health insurance through an employer, dental insurance may be offered to you as part of your employment benefits package or can be purchased separately from an insurance company. Some dental plans may have a waiting period before your coverage begins or may exclude coverage of pre-existing conditions. Most plans also have an annual maximum allowance, which caps the amount the insurer will contribute to a member’s dental expenses within a year.”

It’s also important to note that there essentially three types of dental insurance plans:

Dental preferred provider organizations (DPPO)

These are plans with a provider network but allow for care outside of the network at a higher cost.

Dental health maintenance organizations (DHMO)

Requires members to only use the plan’s provider network. These plans typically do not cover services outside of the provider network.

Fee-for-service plans

Fee-for-service dental insurance plans, also called indemnity plans, do not have provider networks, and allow members to see any dentist. These plans pay a percentage of the service and members cover the balance of the costs.

THE BEST VISION INSURANCE COMPANIES IN 2023

Almost everyone benefits from dental insurance; however, not all employees may want or need vision insurance. But even those who do not need glasses today may find them necessary at some point in life.

As one source reported,

“About 75% of adults use some sort of vision correction, according to The Vision Council. About 64% of them wear eyeglasses, and about 11% wear contact lenses, either exclusively, or with glasses.”

If the overall age demographic of your workforce averages over 40, odds are that most of your employees can benefit from vision coverage.

One reviewer rated their picks for the best vision insurance companies of 2023 as follows:

Best Overall: VSP Vision Care
Best for Plan Options: EyeMed
Most Comprehensive Coverage: Davis Vision
Best for Lasik Surgery: UnitedHealthcare
Best for Contact Lens Users: Humana

And Forbes Advisor listed these companies as their preferred top vision insurance companies in 2023:

Direct Vision
EyeMed
VSP (Vision Service Plan)
Ameritas
Humana

Vision insurance coverage varies based on the plan, but most vision insurance plans fully cover the cost of an annual eye examination when performed by in-network providers. In addition, most plans provide for allowances on glasses frames and contacts lenses up to a specified dollar amount.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WITH DENTAL AND VISION INSURANCE COVERAGE

Choosing dental and vision plans should include balancing factors such as low monthly premiums and extensive coverage. In addition, coverage should include basic examinations and routine visits at either 100 percent or a large portion of those costs.

For dental coverage, having a higher annual cap can be essential, as well. And for vision insurance, the amount of the allowances for eyeglass frames and lenses can be a deciding factor.

While it is often possible to select and purchase both dental and vision insurance coverage for you and your employees separately from your health insurance coverage plan, many health insurance providers offer both as part of their plan packages. In those situations, it is generally less costly to opt for the package than purchasing separate plans.

And keep in mind that, just as with health insurance, there is a monthly premium and that a deductible must be met before the insurance provider pays for services.

J.C. LEWIS INSURANCE SERVICES FOR YOUR SMALL GROUP INSURANCE NEEDS

A local, family-owned firm based in Sonoma County since 1979, J.C. Lewis Insurance and our team of expert brokers offers small group health insurance as well as including dental and vision products.