Dental Benefits in Medicare Advantage will they survive the Medicare provider cuts?

[Duaine]

Deft Research has published research comparing consumer demand for supplemental benefits commonly offered by MA plans and concluded that “Dental is King”; it is more likely than any other supplemental benefit to influence a beneficiary’s decision to switch to or stay with a particular plan."

Deft’s research also shows that Medicare beneficiaries want implants covered but that their desire for higher annual maximum benefit levels off at $2,500.

[EXTERNAL LINK] - Dental Benefits in Medicare Advantage: Making a Good Story Great - National Association of Dental Plans

 

[vic120]

it will survive but reduced
last year or 2 have been greatly inflated, I have seen companies with 7 K in dental and many are not too swayed over companies with $2500 benefit in bigger name

a drop in benefits max wont hurt too back as long as there is still dental

there was a time it was a big deal to get 1K included verse preventative only

If that happens there will be a little wining but ultimately they will accept it

 

[axeman462]

it will depend on the market, but I think other benefits will get cut first; transportation, grocery allowances, In-home-Support-services, and maybe even OTC before any real cuts to dental. Dental has a real demand whereas many of these other benefits are mostly just fluff

 

[DonP]

it will depend on the market, but I think other benefits will get cut first; transportation, grocery allowances, In-home-Support-services, and maybe even OTC before any real cuts to dental. Dental has a real demand whereas many of these other benefits are mostly just fluff

I don’t agree .Grocery card is the most used and it’s the easiest to replace . You cut that your plan toast .You can hide dental , otc and transportation. Matter fact Humana in some areas cut the 3 above big . They’ve already cut big . They cut big against they might as well say here’s 500 k enrollees to the other CO’s

 

[GoPokes]

Dental benefits can be a little confusing.

A plan with $2,000 annual benefit, at a 50/50 coinsurance is pretty similar to another plan with $1,000 annual benefit, with 100/0 coinsurance, but the $2,000 plan looks like more coverage on the surface.

I think the dental benefit does influence a persons choice, especially having the implants. I get asked about that most often.

The plan need to find the happy medium between base dental benefits, and the additional premium add on.

I suppose if a plan knew for certain a member would keep a plan beyond 1 year, then they could offer higher dental coverage.

Using dental to get customers, then later trimming it back, and keeping their business with other benefits seems to be an approach. It's important to get the member engagement with the plan, so they are seeing the non dental benefits of the plan. Some plans have done better at engaging members. The people who are on the healthier side, dont use the basic plan benefits, so finding ways to get them using it, like the gym, or OTC use in store, is also great.

Again, if the dental benefits get trimmed, but the only other option is a much higher medigap plan with an additional premium for dental plan... I think they'll keep the MA

 

[Millwood]

Wish I could find the Article detailing the percentage of dollars used for each benefit ie dental , OTC etc many of the benefits 80-90% were never used.
If they are trying to save money only makes sense to cut the most used ones

 

[BALDELMO]

They will have to pry my cold dead fingers off my Wellcare robotic dog!

 

[vic120]

Dental benefits can be a little confusing.

A plan with $2,000 annual benefit, at a 50/50 coinsurance is pretty similar to another plan with $1,000 annual benefit, with 100/0 coinsurance, but the $2,000 plan looks like more coverage on the surface.

I think the dental benefit does influence a persons choice, especially having the implants. I get asked about that most often.

The plan need to find the happy medium between base dental benefits, and the additional premium add on.

I suppose if a plan knew for certain a member would keep a plan beyond 1 year, then they could offer higher dental coverage.

Using dental to get customers, then later trimming it back, and keeping their business with other benefits seems to be an approach. It's important to get the member engagement with the plan, so they are seeing the non dental benefits of the plan. Some plans have done better at engaging members. The people who are on the healthier side, dont use the basic plan benefits, so finding ways to get them using it, like the gym, or OTC use in store, is also great.

Again, if the dental benefits get trimmed, but the only other option is a much higher medigap plan with an additional premium for dental plan... I think they'll keep the MA

If someone is on Humana and hey go from $2500 to $1000 in dental they still are not changing to WellCare to get $2500 in dental

If someone is on WellCare with 5K in dental and they go down to $1000 in dental they are not going to UHC for preventative only

they might wine a little but wont make much a difrence other then then time to hear them cry a little

 

[vic120]

I don’t agree .Grocery card is the most used and it’s the easiest to replace . You cut that your plan toast .You can hide dental , otc and transportation. Matter fact Humana in some areas cut the 3 above big . They’ve already cut big . They cut big against they might as well say here’s 500 k enrollees to the other CO’s

again there are not too many non Medicaid plans with grocery there are a few here or there with a little

its new to this year maybe $50 a month or $150 per quarter, and if that goes away, that client will still be on Medicare advantage

probably will change their plan but will still be my client

they are not going far

 

[GoPokes]

again there are not too many non Medicaid plans with grocery there are a few here or there with a little

its new to this year maybe $50 a month or $150 per quarter, and if that goes away, that client will still be on Medicare advantage

probably will change their plan but will still be my client

they are not going far

I agree with all your points.

I do think if the OTC card is usable in store, rather than just mail order, it will be used more often, even if just for OTC non-grocery benefits.