Group Dental & Vision

What these plans look like

Dental plans are generally built in three layers: preventive care such as cleanings and x‑rays, basic services such as fillings, and major services such as crowns, bridges, and dentures. Most designs cover preventive care in full and share the cost of the rest, up to an annual maximum. Orthodontia, when included, usually carries its own separate lifetime maximum.

Vision plans typically cover an annual exam plus an allowance toward frames or contact lenses on a set schedule. The allowance and the retailer network matter more than the premium, since the premium difference between plans is often a dollar or two a month.

Details that decide whether people are happy

• The annual maximum, and whether it rolls over unused amounts
• Waiting periods before major work is covered, and whether prior coverage waives them
• Whether the local dentists your staff already use participate
• How out‑of‑network claims are reimbursed

Employer paid or voluntary

These plans can be employer paid, shared, or fully voluntary with employees paying the premium through payroll. Voluntary designs still get group pricing, and they are a way to add a benefit in a year when the health line has no room in it. Participation minimums usually apply to voluntary plans.