America's Benefit Specialist December 2023

NOTEWORTHY

show U.S. adults keep up with their oral hygiene to avoid unforeseen costs and prevent dental issues such as cavities and gum disease. The report also finds that adults understand the impor tance of preventive oral health care for maintaining good oral health and avoiding unexpected care. Further, adults and children continue to follow recommended oral health guide lines at home to improve their overall health and wellness. Key findings: • More than six in 10 (64%) adults replace their toothbrush at least every three months, as recommended by the Amer ican Dental Association. This represents a 10% increase compared to 2022. • More than seven in 10 adults (79%) and children (73%) brush their teeth at least twice a day. However, children do a bet ter job flossing once a day (55%) compared to adults (31%). • While prevention is the main reason for dental visits among adults (78%) and children (85%), personal appearance (16%) has become a motivator for adults. • In fact, adults are citing more personal appearance reasons for flossing than in 2022, such as freshening their breath (26%) and keeping teeth as white as possible (20%). The 2023 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Re port is based upon Delta Dental Plans Association-commis sioned research conducted between January 6 and January 23 by Material Holdings a global insights and strategy con sultancy, using an email invitation and online surveys of two audiences recruited through an opt-in panel: 1,000 nationally representative Americans ages 18+ and 1,253 parents of chil dren ages 12 and under. BENCHMARK SURVEY: ANNUAL FAMILY PREMIUMS FOR EMPLOYER COVERAGE RISE SEVEN PERCENT TO NEARLY $24,000 IN 2023 Amid rising inflation, annual family premiums for employ er-sponsored health insurance climbed seven percent on average this year to reach $23,968, a sharp departure from virtually no growth in premiums last year, the 2023 bench mark KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey finds. On average, workers this year contribute $6,575 annually toward the cost of family premium, up nearly $500 from 2022, with employers paying the rest. Future increases may be on the horizon, as nearly a quarter (23%) of employers say they will increase workers’ contributions in the next two years. Workers at firms with fewer than 200 workers on average contribute nearly $2,500 more toward family premiums than those at larger firms ($8,334 vs. $5,889). In fact, a quarter of covered workers at small firms pay at least $12,000 annually in premiums for family coverage. This year’s seven-percent increase in average premiums is similar to the year-over-year rise in workers’ wages (5.2%) and

EIGHT IN 10 SAY BENEFITS OTHER THAN MEDICAL INSURANCE ARE A MUST-HAVE FROM AN EMPLOYER

A new study from Lincoln Financial Group shows that 86% of those surveyed say insurance benefits other than medical insurance are a “must-have or very important” for an employ er to offer. In today’s economic environment, employees are increasingly interested in workplace benefits that can pro vide financial protection and support as they face competing financial challenges, including saving enough for emergen cies, paying down debt and increasing medical expenses. Amid rising costs and concerns around inflation, 82% of those surveyed say it is important for them to have protec tion against expenses or lost income in case of an unexpect ed event. The addition of voluntary benefits like accident, critical-illness and hospital indemnity insurance can help provide protection against unforeseen health issues or accidents—and research shows these types of supplemental health products are of great interest among workers. Yet, along with the lack of availability, one of the biggest barriers to widespread adoption is understanding the value these benefits can provide. In fact, 54% of workers surveyed believe that supplemental benefits are designed only for people who already have specific health issues. Here are some strategies employers can adopt to help en hance the benefits experience during open enrollment: Provide expert advice: For many workers, an ideal benefits education program includes having experts readily available to answer employee questions. This advice can be delivered to employees in a variety of ways, from lunch-and-learns to webinars to one-on-one meetings. Connect employees directly to the benefits provider: Em ployees prefer to hear directly from their benefits providers nearly nine in 10 respondents reported that they would be very or somewhat interested in receiving communication directly from an insurance carrier. Employers can help facilitate this by ensuring the contact details for their benefits carrier are prominently placed on benefits materials and intranet sites. Highlight affordability: Many workers aren’t aware of how affordable supplemental health benefits can be. In fact, the perception that supplemental benefits are unaffordable is the top reason workers choose not to enroll. Conversely, among those who are enrolled in supplemental benefits, the most common reason for enrollment was affordability (41%). Employers can dispel these misperceptions by highlighting the cost and value of supplemental health benefits in open enrollment communications. REPORT FINDS ADULTS PRACTICE GOOD ORAL HEALTH CARE TO AVOID SERIOUS DENTAL ISSUES AND MAJOR EXPENSES Delta Dental recently shared additional findings from its 2023 State of America’s Oral Health and Wellness Report that

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