BIP Summer 2025

Industry Innovation

The hidden lever in health cost strategy

Rising premiums and deferred care are prompting brokers to connect oral health to overall health, reshaping how clients view dental benefits.

Dental premiums have surged nearly 30% over the last two decades, with the dental consumer price index now outpacing general medical inflation, according to the 2024 Ameritas Dental Insurance Market Report. Yet dental care is often overlooked. In 2022, 12.7% of Americans delayed necessary dental care due to cost, more than double the rate for medical care, according to ADA and Kaiser Family Foundation data. This disconnect between rising costs and reduced usage is prompting brokers and consultants to reconsider how dental fits into broader health strategies. Deferring dental care contributes to worsening chronic conditions, lower employee productivity and, ultimately, higher long-term costs for employers. Data show that individuals with chronic conditions who receive regular dental care can reduce their total medical spending by thousands of dollars annually, up to $11,186 less for members with coronary artery disease, and $2,745 less for members with diabetes who had at least one cleaning per year, according to an Artemis Health analysis. Jake Bendler, division vice president, national accounts and

national partners at Ameritas, emphasizes how brokers can reframe dental not as a siloed benefit, but as a tool to support medical cost savings and overall employee health. “There’s a huge correlation between periodontal disease and overall health,” he says. “Unless

we have those affirmative connections with oral health to overall health — and unless it’s related to both impact and cost reduction — you’re missing a piece of the picture.” Melissa Raley, a financial representative at Principal, echoed that point from her

Highlight both health outcomes and cost savings when positioning dental — clients need to see the full value.

14 bip magazine Summer 2025