According to the National Business Group on Health, here seems to be a disconnect between employees and employers regarding the value and application of health benefits.
Recent reports have illustrated a lack of knowledge and confidence employees have in understanding their health benefits, how to navigate their health plans, and how to identify the best value for their particular plan. Two-thirds of employees polled were not confident about shopping for their own health benefits in lieu of employer-provided plans. And a large number of employees currently choose to utilize their health plans when it's absolutely necessary (read: when there is an emergent health problem), as opposed to routine wellness or preventive care visits.
Regardless of who institutes a health plan, it's important to recognize there are some effects this lack of knowledge has on the health care industry. It has an impact on the cost of healthcare for patients. It has an impact on the cost of insurance plans for employers. And it has an impact on the healthcare providers and what they charge patients for procedures.
The basic laws of supply and demand come into play as more patients and policyholders understand the mechanics of their particular plans. One factor that could change the cost of health plans, and ultimately the overall costs for care, is how a patient utilizes their plan for preventive care. More utilization of healthcare drives costs down, especially when you can see a direct relationship between the number of preventive visits accomplished by patients, and a reduced number of co-morbid diseases in those patients.
Dentistry works in essentially the same way that medicine does from the patients' perspective. If a patient treats a health problem when it becomes symptomatic, it places a greater burden on the patient's pocketbook to treat their problem, because it's likely the solution becomes more complex, and will require more follow-up care. But practicing prevention strategies (daily brushing, daily flossing, watching acid and sugar intake, and attending professional dental hygiene visits) reduces overall patient costs for dental care.
If 30% of my patients practiced more routine preventive self-care and had routine hygiene/prevention visits to my office, starting today, three things would start to happen: 1)my patients would spend less money on overall care in the next 5 years, 2) I would have greater volumes of patient visits, which would lead to a progressive reduction in costs per procedure for patients, and 3) insurers would ultimately reduce premiums for employer- or employee- purchased dental plans.
Even if you don't have an insurance plan, you can still keep your costs down over time. You can subscribe to a flexible health spending account or health savings account privately or through corporate channels that can accrue interest over time if funded correctly. Or you can finance routine care with Care Credit through our office.
Call our office today to answer questions about how to best use your plan, or let us help you sign up for financing to keep your long-term costs for care as low as possible.
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