At the end of 2012, more than 187 million Americans had dental coverage, marking an increase of 11 million people when compared to the previous year, according to the recently-released 2013 NADP/DDPA Joint Dental Benefits Report: Enrollment.
Since 1994, the National Association of Dental Plans has conducted an annual enrollment survey with information on Dental HMO, Dental PPO, Dental Indemnity and Discount Dental enrollment at the state and national levels. The annual reports draw upon the history of previous editions. The survey collects state level data on small-group and individual products to provide a foundation for a before-and-after look at dental benefits impacted by state Exchanges and health care reform.
Recent NADP/DDPA Joint Dental Benefits Survey Results
Most of the reported growth in dental benefits enrollment was projected in the 2013 NADP State of the Dental Benefits Market Report and can be attributed to an increase in employment. In addition, there were three first-time company participants that provided data for this report accounting for about 1% of the total enrollment. Even with these additions, enrollment grew by approximately 5% in 2012. In addition to these positive spikes in dental benefits enrollment, NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland observed, “The recent launch of the State and Federally Facilitated Marketplaces (Exchanges) provides an additional avenue to expand dental coverage in future years.”
The following facts demonstrate the national trends and popularity of the various dental product options:
· The trend toward DPPO products is continuing among commercial products with 78% of all commercial dental benefits.
· The percent of enrollees making some financial contribution toward their coverage was 99% for Discount plans, 93% for DHMO plans, and 94% for DPPO plans, but only 45% for Dental Indemnity plans.
· The population that receives dental benefits coverage through Individual policies and products doubled from last year, up from 2.4% to 5%.
· Less than .5% of dental benefits are integrated with medical policies and 99.5% are provided under a separate dental policy.
“Delta Dental is pleased that the report shows more Americans have access to dental insurance,” said Steven R. Olson, president and CEO of DDPA. “Studies have shown that people with dental benefits visit the dentist more regularly, so increased access to dental coverage should result in improved oral health across America.”
The 2013 NADP/DDPA Joint Dental Benefits Report: Enrollment is available for purchase in the Knowledge Center section of the NADP website.
About the National Association of Dental Plans
The National Association of Dental Plans (NADP), a Texas nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, is the only national trade organization that includes the full spectrum of dental benefits companies operating in the United States. For more information on the NADP, visit their website at www.nadp.org.
About Delta Dental Plans Association
The not-for-profit Delta Dental Plans Association, based in Oak Brook, Ill., is the leading national network of independent dental service corporations. For more information on Delta Dental, visit their website at www.deltadental.com. You can also follow them at their Twitter account.
