NetMinder

CIGNA Dental announces that they now contract with 100,000 unique dentists nationwide.

Aaron Groffman — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:34:16 +0000

The bar for dental PPO networks has been raised again. CIGNA Dental announced in a November 10th press release that they now contract with 100,000 dentists. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111110005100/en/Cigna-Reaches-Milestone-100000-Dentists-Nationwide-Network#.

The reference to 100,000 dentists under contract is a combination of CIGNA’s Radius network along with their DNSP network. DNSP is essentially an out-of-network, smaller discount overlay to their Radius network delivered primarily through a relationship with Coalition America.

With an available universe of over 180,000 unique dentists nationwide, network penetration is still less than 60%, and there appears there is still room for growth. At what point will the dental PPO market be saturated?

Do you want fries with that? How brokers can capitalize on ancillary benefits

Aaron Groffman — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:40:19 +0000

Everyone in the food business knows that restaurants make most of their money on side orders. Now it appears that benefits brokers are catching on. Read on for insight into how brokers are thinking these days.

How to capitalize on ancillary benefits – Articles – Employee Benefit Adviser.

Will new database for out-of-network claims give more pricing leverage to providers? How about consumers?

Aaron Groffman — Wed, 04 May 2011 20:27:09 +0000

I’m a big fan of pricing transparency, and this seem like a step in the right direction. I’ve taken a look at the dental interface and it’s very nice. As a dental consumer, I can get an idea of what dentists charge for particular procedures. However, as an uninsured dental consumer, I’m still guessing at what they’d be willing to accept as payment in full.

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/01/24/bisd0124.htm

Some interesting insights about vision benefits

Aaron Groffman — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:03:57 +0000

In a presentation last year by Vision Monday/Jobson Optical Group, I gained the following insights about the vision benefits market:

3 out of 4 American adults use some form of vision correction product
65% of those buying eyeglass frames used their vision insurance
14% used the web to shop, and of those 31% compared prices and 22% actually purchased glasses

Bottom line…lots of people need “glasses”, use their insurance, and like everything else, the traditional purchasing avenues are being threatened by the Internet. So what else is new.

Insurers Alter Their Sales Commission Structure, Partly to Help Meet Medical Loss Ratio Rules

Aaron Groffman — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:21:42 +0000

This seems like a creative solution to the MLR challenges associated with Health Care Reform regulations.

http://www.aishealth.com/Bnow/hbd011111.html

Now there’s even a website to help you comparison shop dental and vision plans

Aaron Groffman — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:47:51 +0000

Check this out:

http://insurance-quote-review.toptenreviews.com/dental-insurance-review/

http://vision-care-review.toptenreviews.com/

Outsourcing allows new players to quickly get into dental and vision

Aaron Groffman — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:19:53 +0000

Two recent annoucements show that the barriers to entry in the dental and vision markets are not as high as they used to be.

Pan-American Life Insurance Group Introduces Dental and Vision Discount Plans
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/11/prweb4805464.htm

Lincoln Financial Group Launches Lincoln DentalConnect(SM) DHMO in CA, FL, TX
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lincoln-financial-group-launches-lincoln-dentalconnectsm-dhmo-in-ca-fl-tx-113271819.html

Is the dental HMO (DHMO) making a comeback?

Aaron Groffman — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 19:04:30 +0000

Most of the conversation over the last few years has been about dental PPO networks, however, the DHMO doesn’t appear to be dead yet. After declining slightly in 2008, DHMO networks grew 4% and 6% in 2009 and 2010 respectively (Source: NetMinder, Top 10 DHMO networks).

While the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) reports that dental HMO (DHMO) products continue to decline in market share (Source: NADP 2010 Dental Benefits Enrollment Report), network growth, along with new players entering the market, is also a good sign for a product’s lifecycle. The attached release shows that Lincoln Financial Group is leveraging networks from Dental Benefit Providers (CA), Solstice Benefits, (FL), and National Pacific Dental (TX) to enter the DHMO market. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lincoln-financial-group-launches-lincoln-dentalconnectsm-dhmo-in-ca-fl-tx-113271819.html.

Given the effects of the ongoing recession, the lower price points of DHMO coverage may be a more pocketbook-friendly alternative.

OK, it’s not the People’s Choice Awards…

Aaron Groffman — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:32:33 +0000

…but Benefits Selling 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards has quite a few interesting tidbits. Best dental and vision carriers, best group medical coverage, carriers that work best with brokers, and more. Click here to check it out.

One option for managing through health care reform

Aaron Groffman — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:48:45 +0000

In a possible sign of things to come in the wake of health care reform, Principal Financial turns health market over to United Healthcare – Articles – Employee Benefit News.

Update: Guardian also plans to exit medical market and focus on ancillary / non-medical lines.

Guardian to drop health insurance – Articles – Employee Benefit Adviser