DentaQuest will
host a session at the America’s Health
Insurance Plans Institute 2014 (AHIP) in Seattle this Wednesday,
June 12, about the benefits of medical-dental collaboration. The presentation,
“Ancillary Products as Levers for State and Regional Health Plan Growth,” will
feature Mike Enright, National Director for Commercial Sales at DentaQuest;
Steve Pollock, Chief Operating Officer at DentaQuest; and Dr. Rob Compton,
Executive Director of the DentaQuest Institute, who will discuss how health
plans can protect and expand their market share by including dental in their
offerings.
In its first open enrollment period, the federal health
insurance exchange enrolled more than eight million Americans, 15% of whom
purchased a dental plan in addition to a medical plan. Ancillary benefit
companies are meeting consumer interest in dental, vision and other coverage
areas not traditionally offered by health plans. Today, ancillary benefits -
dental in particular - are becoming a required component of comprehensive
health coverage for many reasons, including a growing consumer understanding
that good oral health is imperative
for good overall health. For example, adults with periodontal
disease have an increased risk of developing the specific health risks
identified in the chart below providing further incentive for both consumers
and providers to ensure that people are paying attention to their oral health.
The connection between oral and overall health - and consumer
appetite for dental benefits in this first year of public insurance exchanges -
reveals an opportunity for health insurance organizations to offer increased
value to their members. This presentation will provide insight into what health
insurance providers need to know to leverage dental benefits for growth.
Join us on June 12 at 2:30PM in Room 615 at the Washington
State Convention Center in Seattle, and follow @DentaQuest on Twitter as we
tweet about the conference using the hashtag #AHIPInstitute.