onDiem Offering the First PPO Health Insurance Plan for Temporary Dental Staff Through UnitedHealthcare

onDiem, the nation’s pioneering fully W-2 compliant dental staffing platform, has announced the groundbreaking launch of a PPO health insurance plan through UnitedHealthcare® for temporary dental workers. With this initiative, onDiem solidifies its position as the first nationally available dental staffing platform to provide comprehensive PPO health insurance to its workforce, comprising over 34,000 dental professionals and all new members who join the onDiem community.

The timing of this announcement is pivotal, as the availability of health insurance for dental hygienists and assistants remains scarce, as revealed in a study conducted by the Health Policy Institute, American Dental Hygienists Association, and the Dental Assisting National Board. The study further highlights that 32.6% of dental hygienists and 29.8% of dental assistants who voluntarily left the field cited "inadequate benefits" as the primary reason for their departure.*

“Dental workers—the people we rely on for the most important preventative care—deserve access to quality care,” affirms Joe Fogg, Founder & CEO of onDiem, in a press release. “I'm thrilled that onDiem is the first dental staffing company to provide that access because it's simply the right thing to do.”

To avail of this coverage, dental workers must register for an onDiem account and complete a brief enrollment process. Once their coverage becomes effective, users need to work approximately 8.5 shifts (68 hours) per month to maintain their eligibility for coverage. The new healthcare offering from onDiem encompasses 100% coverage for preventative care, combined with a competitively priced monthly premium, which can be offset through existing onDiem benefits, including Care Benefits and accrued paid time off (PTO), according to onDiem.

Dental professionals who secure employment through onDiem already enjoy a distinctive array of benefits, including employer-paid taxes, malpractice insurance, and workers' compensation insurance. Furthermore, professionals automatically earn up to $250 in Care Benefits, which can be used to cover health- and wellness-related expenses, and 1 hour of PTO for every 24 hours worked, which can be applied towards healthcare costs, potentially reducing premiums to as low as $112 per month.

“Dental hygienists, assistants, and front-office staff can rest easy knowing that they have the kind of quality healthcare they deserve. This is the same plan my own family relies on for our own healthcare needs and preventative care,” Fogg adds in the press release. “I believe dental practices who rely on us for their staffing needs, in turn, will see improved hiring and retention rates—because their complementary team members will be properly cared for.”

onDiem will continue to provide its ACA-compliant fixed indemnity plan through Essential StaffCARE, offering coverage for day-to-day medical expenses. For detailed information about onDiem's comprehensive suite of benefits, including healthcare coverage for the temporary dental community, you can visit https://help.ondiem.com/knowledge/healthcare-benefits.

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, onDiem's dental staffing platform seamlessly connects dental practices with dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and front office personnel for both temporary and permanent staffing solutions. As the first dental staffing platform to achieve nationwide W-2 compliance, the company empowers dental professionals with not only flexible work opportunities but also legal protections and a wide range of benefits, including health coverage, paid time off, and employer-paid taxes. For dental organizations and businesses, onDiem eases the burden of staffing compliance, enabling them to focus on enhancing the quality of care, production, and revenue. Presently, the platform serves over 34,000 dental professionals and over 13,000 dental practices across the nation.

*For more on this study, including an on-demand recording of a webinar on the topic on the ADA website, click here.