Enrollment trends in employer-sponsored health plans that include dental benefits

In this study, the authors provide a better understanding of enrollment trends associated with dental plans embedded in private-sector, employer-sponsored insurance health plans for the years 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018.

Data used were from the insurance component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. The authors present the number of employees enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance health plans and the percentage of these employees enrolled in health plans that include dental benefits. The authors present yearly estimates for 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018, according to employer characteristics and state.

While the number of embedded dental benefit plans has decreased from approximately 14.1 million plans to slightly more than 9.3 million plans in 2018 since 2005, the percentage of enrollees in employer-sponsored insurance health plans with dental coverage has decreased from approximately 23.2% of enrollees to slightly more than 15.0%.

Although the percentage of embedded dental plans is decreasing, they are still an important component of the dental insurance market and are especially important to those employees who are enrolled.

Information will provide a better understanding of the source and extent of embedded dental plans provided via private-sector employers. These plans are often less generous than stand-alone plans.