Group dental and vision insurance

Why small businesses add group dental and vision insurance

Health insurance covers the big, rare events. Dental and vision cover the routine ones: two cleanings a year, a filling, an eye exam and new glasses. Because employees use them, they notice them, and they often rank them right behind health coverage when they compare job offers. The premiums are small next to a medical plan, so adding them is one of the cheaper ways to make a benefits package feel complete.

You do not need a group health plan to offer them. Employers with an ICHRA or a QSEHRA often add group dental and vision so the team still has shared coverage for routine care.

Group dental plans

Most group dental plans sort care into three groups and pay a different share for each:

• Preventive care, like cleanings and exams, is often covered in full.
• Minor work, like fillings, is often covered at around 80% after a deductible.
• Major work, like crowns and bridges, is often covered at around 50%.

Plans set an annual maximum the plan will pay per person. Some add orthodontic coverage for children or adults.

Dental plan types

• PPO dental plans let employees see any dentist and pay less in network. This is the most common choice.
• DHMO plans use a set network and fixed copays, with lower premiums.
• Indemnity plans pay a set share of any dentist's fees, with the most freedom and the highest premium.

Group vision plans

Vision plans cover a yearly eye exam with a small copay and give an allowance toward frames or contact lenses, often every 12 or 24 months. Premiums are low, and employees who wear glasses tend to come out ahead. Some vision plans also cover part of the cost of LASIK through a discount program.

Employer-paid or voluntary

You can pay all or part of the premium, or offer the plan as a voluntary benefit employees pay for through payroll. Employer-paid plans often have richer benefits and shorter waiting periods. Voluntary plans cost the business little and still give employees access to group rates.

Pricing and participation

Dental and vision premiums are set by tier: employee only, employee plus spouse, employee plus children and family. Carriers usually want a minimum number of enrollees, often lower for voluntary plans than for employer-paid ones. Rates and plan designs vary by state, so a plan sold in Kansas can look different from one sold in Missouri. If you are building a package from scratch, start with our small business health insurance guide, then add dental, vision and group life and disability once the health option is set.

What we compare

We look at the annual maximum, waiting periods, network size near your team and how the plan handles major work and orthodontics. Then we line up the premium for each coverage tier so you can see what employees would pay. If you already offer dental or vision, we compare your renewal with other carriers the same way we do for health coverage.