Hospitals utilize self-insured benefits to better employee and patient experiences. 

“BRG was looking for a way to self-insure dental benefits and found the perfect solution in Bento. With customizable plan options, a great network, smooth installation, and stellar customer service, Bento delivered the platform we were searching for! Making the switch to Bento has easily been one of our best business decisions.”

-Paul Douglas, Senior Vice President Strategy, Business Development & Human Resources, Baton Rouge General

About Baton Rouge General: 

The Baton Rouge General physician group provides patients with comprehensive care and a full suite of specialties, including internal and family medicine and specialty care. With a staff of 3500 employees and over 600 licensed beds between three campuses, BRG offers the full spectrum of care from delivering newborns to providing end of life support through hospice. From award-winning cancer and heart programs to their renowned Regional Burn Center, their mission has been to serve their community with clinics located throughout Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. To offer their employees a dental benefit, BRG relies on Bento.

The Problem

• Costly insurance premiums and state premium taxes
• Claims processing costs
• Limited network forced many employees to pay out-of-network fees for care
• Dental plan options bound BRG to insurer’s standard and inflexible offerings

The Bento Solution

BRG decided to migrate from a traditional dental insurance plan to Bento’s modern dental benefits platform to give BRG more control of their benefit dollars and deliver more for their employees.  “We are so pleased to offer custom dental plans for our employees who are now enjoying a better benefit experience with a company/benefits partner that cares!”, says Paul Douglas.

A self-insured plan: The self insured plan powered by Bento enables BRG to pay for dental claims as they arise and exercise full control of un-utilized funds for better cash flow management. The plans have  performed well and are within the avg. utilization rates in the US, according to studies published by the NADP. The switch to Bento saved BRG 10.8% in their first year and even as employee membership increased by 4%. “Instead of paying costly insurance premiums in advance, these savings empower BRG to reallocate the funds into employee benefits, staffing, and patient care.”, says Paul Douglas.

Customized benefits: Flexible plans are tailored to address the needs of BRG employees. Both BRG dental plans offer ortho treatments, and the High Plan features an increased annual maximum and coverage for TMJ treatment. Beyond the plan’s covered services, BRG employees can access pre-negotiated rates at 500,000+ in-network dentists nationwide, allowing them to enjoy up to 40% savings on all dental procedures.

Transparent pricing: BRG employees know the cost of procedure ahead of time through the Bento app or portal. Instant pre-treatment authorization enables employees to complete all necessary treatments in a single appointment. There are no any surprise bills because Bento’s cloud-based instant adjudication can display the amount owed in the app before they leave the dentist’s office. 

Large network: The Connection Dental PPO, DenteMax PPO, and Cigna networks provide 55,000 dental access points in state for oral care and 61.% of all claims came from in-network practices. BRG employees saved 37.8% on average with in-network providers instead of having to pay out of network fees. Bento network dentists can easily access plan details through the Bento portal to check treatment eligibility.  

Direct data access: Direct and easy access to dental claims information enables BRG to identify trends and benefit utilization. The Bento platform provides immediate data access for advanced analytics and empowers BRG to make informed plan adjustments and strategic decisions about budget allocation. The Bento app also places the entire benefit in the palm of their employees hand, enabling instant access to the member ID card, plan details, payment history, and even the ability to refer a dentist to join the network.