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Dental and Vision Benefits
- About 50% of firms offering health benefits offer or contribute to a dental insurance benefit for their employees, separate from any dental coverage the health plans might include. This is a significant increase from 39% in 2003, which is the last time the survey asked about dental benefits. Large firms (200 or more workers) are far more likely than small firms (3-199 workers) to offer a dental health benefit, at 80% versus 49% (Exhibit 2.6).
- Just 21% of firms offer or contribute to a vision benefit for their employees, separate from any vision coverage the health plan might include. Large firms (200 or more workers) are more likely than small firms (3-199 workers) to be offered a vision care benefit, at 44% versus 20% (Exhibit 2.6).
Firms Not Offering Health Benefits
- Despite a slowing of health insurance cost growth in recent years, the cost of health insurance remains the main reason cited by firms for not offering health benefits.
- Among firms not offering health benefits, 74% cite high premiums as a “very important” reason for not doing so. Other factors frequently cited by firms as “very important” reasons for not offering coverage include: firm is too small (57%) and employees are covered elsewhere (34%) (Exhibit 2.7).
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