The employee benefits group of Sun Life Financial's US division has added new enhancements that make its Voluntary Dental Plan more accessible to businesses.
The parameters of Sun Life’s Voluntary Dental Plan have expanded to now accept business with any level of employee contribution, at least 10 enrolled employees, and employee participation rate of at least 35%.
Additional new improvements include a new annual enrollment period that gives employees and dependents an opportunity to elect the plan after previously declining coverage. Doing so eliminates late entrant penalties that would normally be applied when an employee joins the plan after the new hire period.
Sun Life’s expanded plan also waives waiting periods, or deferral of benefits, for all new employees. Employees are now covered at the time of hire and are not subject to a probation period before receiving benefits.
New voluntary dental customers can also elect a maximum carryover provision. As with most dental plans, each participant has a maximum amount of dental expenses that are covered in a year.
Sue Schoch, vice president of dental products center at Sun Life Financial employee benefits group, said: Our enhanced Voluntary Dental is the perfect way to provide stronger employee benefits without raising benefit costs.