America's Benefit Specialist October 2022

PRODUCT NEWS

ket in Alabama. In addition to the lack of health insurance options for small business es, Alabama ranks among the nation’s worst states regarding overall clinical care, accord ing to The United Health Foundation’s 2021 report. That study ranked Alabama last in the category of mental-health providers and 46th in primary-care providers. Sana members receive no-cost virtual appoint ments with primary-care and mental-health providers, helping Alabamians overcome those shortfalls. Sana’s availability in Alabama means small and midsize businesses can now get health plans purpose-built to meet their needs. The state’s market is the most con centrated in the country, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama controlling 97%, according to the most recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. When Sana enters a market, 35% of its new customers are small businesses previously unable to provide healthcare to employees due to high costs. Launching in Alabama adds more than 800,000 employ ees who can benefit from Sana’s health plans. For more information, visit www. sanabenefits.com. VERIKAI LAUNCHES MED/RX TO GIVE INSURERS INSIGHTS ON MEDICAL CLAIMS AND PRESCRIPTION DATA Insurance technology startup Verikai has launched Med/Rx to build on its existing product base and optimize the underwriting process for their carrier clients. Verikai uses machine-learning models to give insurers a deeper view of risk, using extensive clinical and behavioral data to create risk scores. With the addition of Med/Rx, carriers will be able to run group reports through Verikai’s platform to establish a baseline of

The added incentive to MetLife’s Dental Plan began rolling out September 1 for employers that have elected to include the incentive in their plan. To learn more, visit www.metlife.com.

METLIFE’S DENTAL WELLNESS INCENTIVE REWARDS HEALTHY BEHAVIORS MetLife has launched a dental wellness incentive designed to help employees make the most of their dental benefits by encouraging preventive care, helping reduce out-of-pocket costs and promoting whole-person health. The provision rewards employees for positive oral health behav ior—such as routine cleanings and exams— by increasing a member’s annual maximum and/or coinsurance percentages, and/or by reducing plan deductibles. This new incentive will reward employees for prioritizing regular dental visits, which are important to one’s overall health. The new feature helps employees get more for their dental benefits, including health and financial incentives to make preventive vis its more routine. By doing so, MetLife aims to support holistic wellness while helping employees find a long-term plan that fits their personal wellness needs. As part of this plan design enhancement: • Rewards are personalized, enabling each eligible member and their dependents to qualify and earn the incentive based on their preventive dental care visits during the previous year. • Based on dental claims that employees submit the previous year, richer benefits are given over time to employees and enrolled family members who may need more care in the future. • Benefits increase for up to three years giving employees additional motivation to utilize the incentive. • When the incentive is included in the group plan, employees can start earning incentives for use in the following year and they automatically renew each year.

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LAUNCHES LONG-TERM ADVANTAGE

Northwestern Mutual recently announced the launch of Long-Term Advantage, an offering designed to help people pay for long-term care needs—which, if ultimately not needed, will instead provide a life insur ance benefit. The offering, which also has a guaranteed premium and will not be subject to rate increases, features these benefits: Long-term care benefit: Six years of guar anteed coverage for qualified LTC expenses, plus the potential for up to 10 years of total coverage. Death benefit: A guaranteed death benefit in case the policyowner does not need long term care or needs only a limited amount of care—including the potential for growth of the death benefit over time through annual life insurance dividends. Accumulated value: Surrender value in case the client’s life circumstances change. The new Long-Term Advantage offering joins Northwestern Mutual’s long-term care insurance solution suite, which also includes QuietCare, a standalone long-term care insurance solution, and Whole Life Plus with Accelerated Care Benefit, a life in surance product with a long-term care rider.

SANA EXPANDS INTO ALABAMA Sana, a healthcare company providing health benefits to small businesses, has an nounced its expansion into Alabama. Sana is serving a traditionally underserved mar

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