Word of Mouth

The country is finally emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, but employees and employers face uncertainty, with rising costs, continuing health care needs and fears of a recession. What does this mean for employee benefits in 2023? Here’s what you should expect.
 

Expansion of telehealth

The COVID-19 pandemic saw a huge increase in telemedicine and teledentistry. That trend is expected to continue, with about 55% of large employers planning to increase access to virtual health services, according to a November report.

Many Delta Dental members have access to two virtual dentistry options — Virtual Consult, in which they can talk to a dentist via a video call, and Toothpic, which offers consultations from a dentist based on a photo they upload.
 

The rise of individual accounts

As health care exchanges are becoming more popular, individual coverage HRAs (ICHRAs), which began in 2020, are increasing in number. With ICHRAs, companies give employees a defined contribution that can be used for premiums or out-of-pocket expenses. When an employee purchases a health plan, the employee can use an ICHRA to purchase dental coverage as well. ICHRAs are a way for companies to give employees more flexibility to select a plan that best suits their needs.
 

The Great Resignation continues

Some employers who are looking to expand in 2023 will find job applicants tough to find as the Great Resignation continues to influence the job market.

According to a recent survey, almost half of employees said they would look for a new job in 2023, up 5 percentage points from last year. And a Forbes survey found that in 2022, about one out of every 10 employees left a job they liked to find better benefits.

Having robust dental benefits will make your company’s jobs even more enticing. Only 44% of non-military workers have access to dental benefits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so those companies who do offer dental benefits have an extra advantage in attracting good applicants. Benefits keep employees at a job, and they’re more productive when they’re healthy and have good benefits, including dental benefits. In fact, a recent survey showed that 33% say health benefits and services are the most important factor when choosing an employer
 

Benefits are still important

It’s important to remember that health care benefits are a big part of an employee’s overall salary package. They can help attract and retain employees, and having healthy people on the job means they’re more productive. Let Delta Dental help you deliver the best benefits to them.