New MetLife Dental Program Helps Employers Meet the Needs of More Employees

By Dorothy Laincz, Advertorial Writer Sponsored By MetLife Dental

The traditional workforce of the past has been replaced by a new norm—a mix of full-time employees, part-timers and consultants. While this new norm combines unique generations, different aspirations, and a new way of thinking about the workplace and employee benefits, dental remains a must-have benefit.

A new program from MetLife—MetLife TakeAlong Dental^SM—is designed to complement employers’ traditional MetLife group dental benefits, offering an individual coverage option for the segment of the workforce not eligible to participate in a traditional employer-sponsored dental plan.¹

MetLife TakeAlong Dental can support employers’ efforts to find ways to meet the unique needs of this growing mobile and nontraditional workforce when it comes to offering dental benefits while balancing cost concerns with employee needs.

Dental – a must-have benefit

Multiple trends in the American workforce in recent years have caused fewer workers to have access to traditional dental coverage at work. An increasing number of the workforce are part-time or consulting either by choice or because they are underemployed.

As employers continually strive to attract and retain the best talent, dental insurance is a key benefit. Yet many workers do not have access to any sort of dental program, and many employers have not been able to fill this gap.

According to the 14th Annual MetLife U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (see more at benefittrends.metlife.com), only 63 percent of employers provide dental coverage to employees, yet 68 percent of employees feel dental is a must-have benefit.

In fact, 80 percent of employees indicate dental benefits are important when deciding whether to accept a job, according to the same study. And compared with those who don’t have dental insurance benefits, employees who have dental benefits are significantly more satisfied with their benefits (88 percent versus 42 percent) and are more likely to stay with their employer (82 percent versus 70 percent).

The implications for employee loyalty are significant. With four in 10 employees—particularly millennials—saying that retiree benefits are a key reason to stay with their employer, MetLife TakeAlong Dental can help serve as a retention tool that’s easy to implement.

They want to take it with them

In the same study, 61 percent of employees said they are extremely interested in taking benefits with them when they retire or change jobs, an increase of 11 percent over the previous year.

Yet only 44 percent of employers currently offer portable benefits, with only 34 percent of employers agreeing that portable benefits are important in helping employees plan for their futures.

While not a replacement, MetLife TakeAlong Dental can be used as an alternative to COBRA,² helping attract top talent with access to a highly-desired benefit employees and their dependents can take with them.

MetLife TakeAlong Dental keeps it simple for employers and advisors

Advisors are well aware of MetLife as a high-quality dental carrier with exceptional service. Now MetLife is launching this innovative program, MetLife TakeAlong Dental, that helps advisors grow their business through deeper relationships and an ongoing revenue stream, as, where applicable, commissions are paid no matter where life takes employees as long as the coverage stays in force.³

And at little to no additional cost to employers, MetLife TakeAlong Dental is a perfect complement to a MetLife group dental plan. MetLife supports the end-to-end administration from enrollment to employee/retiree billing to ongoing service. And there is no additional work for advisors; MetLife provides a full-service solution from enrollment to billing to service and renewal.

Robust coverage, broad network and exceptional service

Employees are often skeptical of individual coverages because they typically provide less coverage, smaller networks or even just discounts.

MetLife TakeAlong Dental is different. It provides covered services similar to MetLife group plans, including the same network of over 358,000 dentist access points, online access and claims handling that are available to all of MetLife’s group benefits customers.

When complementing MetLife group dental coverage, MetLife TakeAlong Dental delivers consistency across an employee population.

The last dental program they will ever need

MetLife TakeAlong Dental is another example of MetLife’s innovation to help employers find the right mix of solutions to better balance costs and employee needs. MetLife TakeAlong Dental allows employers to be confident in a solution that can help attract and retain employees.

To find out more about MetLife’s dental coverage and programs, including the new MetLife TakeAlong Dental, visit www.metlife.com/takealongdental.

¹ Coverage for the segment of the workforce not covered under an employer’s group plan, such as part-timers, consultants, and retirees, is subject to a minimum number of enrolled lives. Contact MetLife for complete details.

² MetLife TakeAlong Dental is not COBRA coverage and does not affect any employer obligation to provide COBRA coverage.

³ Availability of commissions is based on group size and MetLife guidelines.

Availability of MetLife TakeAlong Dental is based on MetLife’s guidelines, group size, and state approvals. Like most insurance policies/benefit programs, insurance policies/benefit programs offered by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) and its affiliates contain certain exclusions, exceptions, reductions, limitations, waiting periods and terms for keeping them in force. Certain administrative services are provided through Careington International Corporation, Frisco, TX (Careington). Careington is not affiliated with MetLife or its affiliates. Please contact MetLife for costs and complete details. In certain states, availability of MetLife’s individual dental product is subject to regulatory approval.