(Sept. 14, 2009) OKEMOS, Mich. – Small-business owners are facing tough decisions to survive the current economic downturn as healthcare costs are rising. Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana is offering an alternative to help keep employees healthy. The Delta Dental Patient Direct® discount card provides individuals and families significant discounts on dental, vision and hearing care, and prescription drugs.
“When employees lack benefits, they resist getting regular checkups and ignore the first signs of health problems,” said Dr. Thomas J. Fleszar, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. “When health problems are ignored or remain undetected, they have the potential to worsen, resulting in expensive hospital visits, employee absenteeism and lowered productivity.”
For $80 annually, the Delta Dental Patient Direct® card makes discounts available to immediate family members of a household with no limits on age or usage. The card, which is not insurance, is available to residents in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Discounted dental services are only available in those three states; all other discounts are valid at participating providers nationwide.
On average, Delta Dental Patient Direct cardholders will save 20 to 40 percent off the cost of dental services from Delta Dental Patient Direct participating dentists. Discounts are available for many procedures, including dental checkups, fillings, crowns, root canals, orthodontics and cosmetic services.
Cardholders also can save between 15 and 30 percent on vision care, prescription drugs and hearing care. Delta Dental’s partners are offering nationwide discounts through EyeMed Vision CareSM at retailers including LensCrafters, Target and Sears; prescription drugs at participating CVS Caremark® pharmacies like CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid; and hearing care through Beltone’sTM 1,300 locations.
To purchase the Delta Dental Patient Direct, locate participating providers or find more information, visit www.deltadentalmi.com/patientdirect.
About Delta Dental
Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, with its affiliates in Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico and Tennessee, is one of the largest dental plan administrators in the nation. In 2008, the enterprise paid nearly $2.5 billion for dental care for more than 8 million enrollees. Offices are located in Okemos and Farmington Hills, Mich.; Lisle, Ill.; Indianapolis and Greenwood, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; and Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis, Tenn.
