A firm’s size is the best predictor of whether or not the firm offers its employees dental benefits. Among all small firms (3-199 workers), 39% offer dental coverage. Among the largest firms (5,000 or more workers), 92% offer dental benefits (Exhibit 8.4).
Flexible spending accounts are funded through employee pre-tax dollars and allow employees to pay for health expenses not covered by their health plans, dependent care expenses, and other types of benefits on a pre-tax basis (Exhibit 8.4).
The percentage of covered workers with a flexible spend-ing account benefit has increased among large firms (with more than 1,000 workers) since 1999 but has remained constant among all firms at 16% overall.
Covered workers were much more likely to be in plans that increased the provider network than decreased the number of preferred providers. Among covered workers enrolled in a PPO, 35% of covered workers were in a plan that expanded its provider network, while only six percent were in a plan that reduced the number of preferred providers (Exhibit 8.5).
Section 8: Health Benefits, 2003 Pages: 1 2 < previous
