Media room
April 1, 2008
New Dental Plan Responds to Consumer Need for Shared Dollars
Assurant Employee Benefits to launch Family Share Max plan in April, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 1, 2008) ― Kansas City-based Assurant Employee Benefits today announced an industry first with the launch of Family Share Max, an innovative new way for families to maximize their dental insurance coverage. As the latest feature to the company's Lifetime of Smiles ® program, Family Share Max allows families to pull from one shared dental coverage pool in the way that can most effectively meet their particular needs and budgets, replacing traditional individual maximums.
"Family Share Max allows families to take more control of their dental benefit dollars," said Joe Sevcik, vice president of marketing for Assurant Employee Benefits. "Now, for the first time ever, you can spend your family's dental dollars the way you want. Considering the rising costs of dental care and the current challenging economic situation, this is an especially appealing option."
Since 1990, dental fees have risen much faster than inflation. A federal survey shows that the average cost of dental procedures rose 25 percent from 1996 to 2004, and consumers are now looking for more choices and flexibility from dental providers to compensate for this increase.1 Assurant Employee Benefits created Family Share Max as a direct response to this consumer feedback.
According to a 2008 Omnibus survey, nearly two-thirds of respondents want their dental provider to allow them to pool dental dollars, rather than limiting them to individual allotments because not all family members require the same coverage. In fact, 58 percent of those surveyed say that one family member required more dental work and used more insurance benefits than other family members in the previous year. As a leader in the dental industry, Assurant Employee Benefits is responding to this need with Family Share Max, making it simple to provide additional care to family members who need it most.
"It is no longer necessary to put off important dental work because of individual dental coverage limits," said James Gimarelli, D.M.D., vice president of dental at Assurant Employee Benefits. "By allowing families to prioritize the dental needs of individual family members, Family Share Max can help improve the timely care of dental issues without breaking the bank."
With Family Share Max, employees are not restricted by complicated rollover plans, such as limitations for members who do not exceed the maximum threshold, issues with accessing rollover dollars the very next year, and requirements for preventive care before rollover dollars are available. Small- to mid-size business owners can now offer employees a simpler dental plan with no pre-qualifiers or maximum thresholds.
As a small- to mid-size business expert, Assurant Employee Benefits is leading the charge to help smaller business owners compete with larger competitors. To help recruit and retain quality employees, it's necessary for smaller business owners to provide benefits beyond traditional health care. Not only is dental insurance an affordable addition to benefits packages, it's also a way for businesses to help protect the general health of employees and help increase productivity.
About Lifetime of Smiles ®
Introduced in January 2007, the Lifetime of Smiles ® program focuses on the company's commitment to oral health and signifies the company's leadership in the dental industry. Family Share Max is the latest feature, available for new business with June 1, 2008 effective dates, to the Lifetime of Smiles ® program, which also includes:
- Four periodontal cleanings in a 12-month period
- Tooth-colored fillings for posterior teeth
- Brush biopsy procedures
- Genetic testing
- Antimicrobial agents
Not all Lifetime of Smiles ® features are available in all states. The FamilyShare Max plan is available to family members covered under the same policy.
1Boom Times for Dentists, but Not for Teeth, New York Times, Oct., 2007