TUESDAY, Sept. 7, 2010 (HealthDay News) -- Larger companies and those in more populated areas of the United States are more likely to offer dental insurance to workers, finds the first comprehensive study on the issue.
The analysis of state-by-state and nationwide dental insurance coverage offered by 6.4 million employers was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore and the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
They found that 56 percent of U.S. companies offered health insurance, 35 percent offered dental insurance, and 63 percent of those that offered health insurance also offered dental insurance.
Alaska had the highest percentage of firms offering both health and dental coverage (80.8 percent), while the lowest was Vermont, at 42.8 percent.
Businesses that offer dental insurance are more likely to employ a greater number of people, have more than one location and be older, more established companies.
The study appears in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
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