With rising costs top of mind, Arkansans are paying close attention to every opportunity to save money. Findings from a recently released study prove a surprising way to be mindful of finances — making dental health a priority. Now, for the first time, we have real proof of how preventive dental care can save Arkansas businesses and their employees thousands of dollars.
When it comes to health insurance, we know cost savings happen when employee claims are down. This means employees are paying less, and the medical claims experience is lower for the group plan as a whole. If there are proactive measures companies and employees can take to decrease costs, shouldn’t they do everything possible to take advantage?
That’s where preventive dental care comes into the picture, specifically dental checkups and good oral health habits. There is a long-established connection between healthy mouths and healthy bodies, and now there’s proof showing even more benefits in focusing on our dental health.
The results of a new study released by the Mayo Clinic, Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield and Life & Specialty Ventures show the link between preventive dental care and significantly lowered health care costs, which are particularly strong for people with diabetes or coronary artery disease (CAD) — two of the most common medical conditions in Arkansas.
The study examines diabetes and CAD patients who were automatically enrolled in a dental insurance program that provided additional oral care at no cost.
Additionally, individuals were assigned care management teams that were proactive about outreach, reminding patients to take advantage of the additional benefits. Findings suggest health plans can reduce costs anywhere between $500 and $1,700 per person, affirming the correlation between health care costs and adherence to preventive dental care.
The outcome of this study demonstrates a way forward to improve our state’s oral health ranking — Arkansas Department of Health numbers reveal we have one of the lowest percentages of dental visits in the nation — and serves as a road map for potentially saving hundreds of dollars per enrollee. Other key takeaways include:
► Access to dental benefits and commitment to preventive dental care result in lower health care utilization and therefore lower health care costs.
► Automatic enrollment eliminated potential bias of participation while ensuring that many more people were enrolled than would have done so manually.
► Patient adherence increased each year of the study period, showing the benefit of instituting programs to improve participation and use of dental care services.
This study reveals a clear opportunity for improvement in our state. By choosing medical and dental plans from a carrier that integrates them through programs such as the one the Mayo Clinic studied, employers can move to promote better health and save costs. We finally have real evidence of what this health savings opportunity means for Arkansans.
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