3 Tips to Improve Your Employee Benefits Communication Plan

Companies invest a significant portion of their budget in employee benefits. A quality benefits package is critical to keeping employees engaged, healthy and productive. But employers who don’t provide an effective employee benefits communication plan could see employees delay care, complain about unexpected costs, or become disengaged.

Review these best practices for designing a dental benefits education strategy and apply them to your overall employee benefits communication plan.

Simplify insurance language

A recent survey of employees enrolled in employer-sponsored dental plans found that although 80%-90% say they understand their dental benefits, only 41% are familiar with all the details of their plan. And 45% report being surprised by their out-of-pocket costs after receiving dental care.

Insurance can be difficult to understand. Educational materials that are simple and straightforward help employees easily see how benefits will impact their costs and meet their needs.

User-friendly materials forgo terminology like “coinsurance” and “claim allowance” that can be misinterpreted or confusing. Simple explanations of key dental plan details, such as annual maximums, deductibles and coverage percentages help employees easily understand their costs and benefits.

When more than one dental plan is offered, materials and examples should clearly point out differences in plan elements such as benefit maximums, coverage percentages for specific procedures, which plans include added features like rewards and incentives, and how those features work.

Focus on out-of-pocket costs

Cost is often the most important factor for employees when choosing a dental plan during enrollment. That includes premium amounts and coverage levels that impact out-of-pocket costs. And since dental inflation continues to outpace medical, it’s critical to help employees understand how benefits can lower their out-of-pocket costs for dental services.

Educational materials should include dental cost examples with average charges for common procedures before and after benefits are applied. It’s also important to show the difference in what employees pay in-network versus out-of-network. These reduced costs help them retain more of their annual maximum benefit for other dental services.

Cost estimator tools let employees find average procedure charges in their area to help with budgeting. Considering premiums alongside potential out-of-pocket expenses gives employees the insight they need to make more informed decisions at enrollment.

Use the right communication platform

The way dental benefits education is delivered impacts the value employees get from it. Educational materials and communications should be part of the tools and resources they’re already familiar with.

Benefit summary — A one- or two-page summary highlighting dental benefits can be emailed with other coverage information as part of an enrollment campaign, printed and included with a comprehensive benefit guide, or distributed at enrollment meetings.

Custom brochure — A brochure dedicated to dental plan details and comparisons can be emailed, linked on an existing employee benefits site or used as a guide at enrollment meetings.

Video — A narrated video that summarizes and compares dental plans is a great way to communicate when no in-person meetings are planned. Share video links via email or on an employee benefits site.

Website — A dental benefits website is a digital alternative for sharing plan details and comparisons during enrollment. Benefits added at renewal, such as vision, can be easily incorporated into the site, and the carrier can track site analytics.

Benefits website content — A carrier can provide custom dental benefits content in a company’s brand voice to include on their existing comprehensive benefits website.

Employers who simplify benefits information, focus on costs and use the right communication channels can build a stronger employee benefits communication plan that increases engagement and benefits utilization. Ameritas can help.

Sources and References:
Employee dental benefits survey from Ameritas and Employee Benefit News, 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Consumer Price Index.