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Too often decisions about health benefits are made by employers on price alone. This can be a costly mistake. While many dental and vision plan designs from various carriers may appear similar, they can actually be dramatically different. Provider networks may also be different from plan to plan, and there are service considerations that do contribute to employee satisfaction. So, where are the differences, and how should an employer select their dental and vision plan?

Providing employee satisfaction

Differences can be found in features like provider choice, provider service, the plan's ease-of-use, and customer service. Employees want greater choice of provider selection and to be treated well by their selected provider--and by the plan. It pays to purchase a plan that offers a network of quality providers who meet standards equivalent to those established by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA), Washington.

Further, plans that have well established quality measurement programs look at a long list of provider credentials including training and years in service. They regularly conduct audits and patient/member surveys to evaluate quality and performance. Patient satisfaction surveys like those in place at PacifiCare Dental & Vision reveal that plan members are concerned about issues such as: How long it took to schedule an appointment; how long they had to wait before seeing the provider; if the office staff was friendly and helpful; if the dentist or eye care provider was caring and competent; if the office was clean and pleasant.

When employees use their health benefits, their overall health improves, and they feel better, work better, and spend less time away from work. The more satisfied employees are with their dental or vision plan, the more they will use it and the lower the complaint level.

Whether you are currently on a dental and/or vision plan and wondering about its performance, or maybe thinking about adding these popular benefits this year, there are criteria you should examine for measuring plan differences.

Question to ask about a plan

A dental or vision plan's true value can be determined by asking the following questions of the benefits broker or plan representative:

* Does the plan conduct regular surveys of its members to determine levels of satisfaction?

If so, how are they conducted?

* Do surveyed members indicate they received compassionate care delivery?

* Do providers explain their treatment clearly and in advance?

* Are plan members able to locate convenient providers close to home or work, and do they gain access to an appointment, in a reasonable time frame?

* How is the plan's customer service? How quickly are customer calls answered? Are the plan's customer service representatives courteous and knowledgeable?

* Does the plan measure quality regularly through audits available to their customers?

* Does the plan reward outstanding service to members by their providers?

When and if to switch your plan

Price alone is seldom a good reason to change plans, but service is. There are many good reasons for sticking with your dental or vision carrier, even though the rates might increase slightly from year to year:

Time and cost savings--Switching plans costs time and money in administration, paperwork, and orientation of employees.

Provider stability--When an employer moves from one plan to another, employees often have to change providers.

Continuity of care--Employees going through extensive treatment procedures can complete their treatment program rather than risk losing their coverage when their employer moves to another plan.

Favorable underwriting status--Employers who frequently switch plans may be adversely affecting their rates in the long run because carriers also look for stable clients.

Additional factors to consider

Employers will also want to consider the following factors to help determine if they are selecting a quality dental or vision plan:

* Member materials are easy to understand and readily available. Materials such as benefit literature, brochures, flyers, and the Internet are necessary to help educate and inform employees about how their plan works and what services are covered. They also provide general information promoting good dental or vision health.

* Multilingual provider offices and multilingual customer service capabilities meet the needs of an increasingly diverse employee population. Your dental and/or vision plans should provide for the needs of all members. This often goes beyond contracting with provider offices whose staff speak multiple languages to offering materials, enrollment forms and customer service lines in the needed languages.

* Strong local sales and account management support means good customer service on the business side as well. Look for plans that are continuously improving to meet the needs of their employer groups, brokers and consultants. They will develop and maintain lasting, dependable relationships through regular contact and feedback. The quest for quality must be a continual and ongoing process.

A good dental or vision plan can go a long way toward ensuring employee satisfaction with your benefits package. And isn't that why you offer health benefits anyway?

This article was provided by PacifiCare Dental & Vision Adminstrators. For more information, or for a custom dental or vision quote, contact PacifiCare Dental & Vision Marketing at 800-516-4680 or visit www.pacificare.com/dentalvision.