PRODUCT: Aflac Dental Insurance

COMPANIES: Aflac Incorporated

BEST RATING: A+ (Superior)

AVAILABILITY: Available through appointed agents and brokers

FOCUS: U.S. employees cite dental insurance as the second most important benefit to them after health insurance, according to the Aflac 2020-2021 WorkForces Report. However, about half of adults say they or another family member in their household skipped or postponed some type of medical or dental care because of the coronavirus pandemic, including 42% who personally skipped or postponed care, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll.

“Dental plans not only help with costs associated with preventive health measures, but routine checkups and exams can lead to the detection of numerous conditions before they require more costly treatments," says Rich Williams, president of Aflac's Group Benefits Division and executive vice president of Aflac U.S.

“As a component of Aflac's continual growth strategy, the new coverage allows the company to offer even more of the key benefits businesses desire to remain competitive and help attract and retain top talent," Williams says. “This helps move Aflac to the front page of the benefits enrollment process for employees, demonstrating our value to brokers, independent agents and employers."

COVERAGE DETAILS: The Aflac dental network consists of over 270,000 access points and over 80,000 unique providers. Coverage includes no waiting periods with the exception of orthodontic services, no copays for most preventative procedures, and a new benefit covering two additional cleanings per year when medically recommended. Other highlights include:

• Deductible that decreases over time. With this new-to-market benefit, insureds see a reduced deductible each year the plan is in force, with the first year at $50 per person, the second decreasing to $25 per person, and the third and subsequent years seeing no deductible.
• Annual maximum carryover. Insureds can carry over $250 each year toward their annual maximum, up to a total of $1,000, for use with any qualifying dental expense.
• Accidental dental injury. If an insured experiences a covered dental injury, the plan pays 100%, subject to deductible and annual maximum amounts.

UNDERWRITING: Coverage is available for businesses with as few as three employees. Participation requirements vary based on the size of the account. Applications for accounts with fewer than 100 employees are completed through Aflac's proprietary Everwell benefits platform, which streamlines benefits administration, virtual or in-person enrollment, and employee communication into one convenient, online solution. For accounts of more than 100 employees, our products are compatible with the majority of third-party platforms.

COVERAGE AVAILABILITY: Available in AL, AK, AR, CA, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WV, WI and WY.

CONTACT: Jon Sullivan, director of corporate communications, Aflac; 706-763-4813.

Will Jones is IA editor-in-chief.