Case Study:
How One Employer Saved Over $500K
with Delta Dental of Washington
This case study highlights the experience of one employer group and do not represent guaranteed rates or savings across Delta Dental of Washington’s book of business. This resource demonstrates the meaningful value employers may achieve when choosing a stand-alone dental carrier.A large employer (~3,000 employees) was choosing between two dental plan options:
A Bundled Dental Plan offered through their medical carrier.
Delta Dental of Washington (DDWA), a stand-alone dental carrier.
On paper, the medical carrier's lower administrative fee looked appealing. But when the employer evaluated their total costs, including the impact network utilization and discounts have on their claims costs, they discovered a different story.
The Results: Lower Total Cost with a Delta Dental Plani
Category |
Medical Carrier |
Dental-only Carrier (DDWA) |
|---|---|---|
|
Admin Fee Per Employee Per Month (PEPM) |
$3 less | Higher fee |
|
Claims Cost (PEPM) |
Significantly higher (↑18%) |
$20 less The lower claims for the dental-only carrier is driven by deep provider fee doscounts and stronger in-network usage. |
|
Total Cost (PEPM) |
Significantly higher (↑14%) | $17 less |
|
Annual Savings |
- |
$591,470 |
Despite the lower administration fee offered by the Medical Carrier, Delta Dental saved the employer $17 per employee per month due to their higher in-network utilization and deeper provider fee discounts.
Why the Dental-Only Plan Outperformed
Delta Dental delivers the largest effective discount through direct contractsi
Delta Dental of Washington
Average Medical Carrier Bundled Plan
Bigger in-network
discounts = more savings.
Members with Delta Dental are more likely to visit an in-network dentistii
More in-network
claims = more savings.
Did you know? Delta Dental has the nation's largest network with over 151,000 dentists
Dental-focused claims review reduced unnecessary or inflated charges
Delta Dental
employs licensed dental professionals to review claims and ensuring claims integrity and cost control
Medical Carriers
often use a broad review approach which may miss dental nuances, letting unnecessary costs pile up.
Delta Dental of Washington achieved 97.2% first-call resolution and 99.7% claims payment accuracy in 2024—ensuring a better experience for members and fewer errors for employers.iv
Bottom Line
Stronger claims savings easily offset the administration fee. Specialized dental carriers, like Delta Dental, offer deeper discounts, broader networks, and stronger claims control leading to lower total costs and better member experience. With dedicated dental expertise and preventive programs, they also help improve overall health outcomes (ultimately benefiting medical costs too). For employers, a stand-alone dental plan is often the most strategic and cost-effective choice.
Sources
- Delta Dental of Washington. (2025). Internal client cost and utilization analysis. Unpublished data.
- Delta Dental of Washington. (2025). Internal client cost and utilization analysis. Unpublished data; Milliman. (2025). 2024 DAA PPO Network Study Report – DDPA Edition, Tables 2–3: PPO Network Utilization. Delta Dental Plans Association. (2025). Network Trend Report. May 2025; Network360. (2025). Confirmed Practicing Locations Summary. March 2025.
- Delta Dental Plans Association. (2025). Network Trend Report. May 2025; Network360. (2025). Confirmed Practicing Locations Summary. March 2025.
- Delta Dental of Washington. (2024). Performance Guarantees Final Results: Claims Accuracy and Service Metrics. Unpublished internal report.
