Dental insurance cost

Facing increasing financial pressure, business owners look for ways to keep their benefits attractive while watching their budget. Their employees say dental insurance nears the top of the list of important benefit programs ranking third (64%) after health insurance and defined benefit plans according to the Principal Financial Well-Being Index(SM). Recognizing a need for a lower cost dental insurance option to ease the financial strain of employers and their employees, the Principal Financial Group(R) introduces Network Select.

Employees enrolled in Network Select visit dentists in the Principal network who agree to discounted fees and lower services costs. These discounts translate to lower out-of-pocket costs for the employee and a lower rate for the employer.

"We've heard loud and clear employers want to continue offering a sound benefit package, but need to do so with a careful eye on cost. By offering a new plan design, we're able to lower the tab without losing the benefit," said Theresa McConeghey, assistant vice president of dental benefits for the Principal Financial Group. "Encouraging our members to utilize dentists in the Principal network enables us to pass on savings to employers, which is why we're lowering costs across the board on our plans that emphasize network providers."

The Principal Plan Dental preferred provider organization (PPO) network dentists agree to discounted fees and a review of their professional credentials. On average, members experience a 25 percent saving. Due to a large nationwide network, members still have choice when it comes to the dentist they visit.

The Principal provides a number of interactive tools to help members get the most out of their dental benefits through The Principal Dental Health Edge(SM) located on www.principal.com. Members can access information on procedures, treatment plans, network providers and basic oral health information. The site includes a cost estimator, which calculates dental costs in a given ZIP code and a database of network providers who offer discounted charges and fees.

To learn more about dental solutions offered by The Principal, brokers should contact their Principal Financial Group representative or visit www.principal.com.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group(R) (The Principal (R))(1) is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $280.4 billion in assets under management(2 )and serves some 18.6 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

Insurance products and services issued by Principal Life Insurance Company.

(1) "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services
, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.