Employee Benefits for Dental and Orthodontic Practices in Michigan

What Is Actually True at a Dental Practice

• The practice’s own dental coverage for staff is usually easy to offer, and the harder decision is the medical plan.
• Associate dentists, hygienists, assistants and front-desk staff are paid very differently and value benefits differently.
• Many practices have part-time hygienists and assistants working a few days a week, so hours and eligibility rules matter.
• Owner-dentists have tax and plan-design questions that differ from their employees’ questions.

What CFH Does About It

• Builds the medical plan, dental and vision offering as one package with a clear employee cost per paycheck.
• Writes eligibility rules for part-time hygienists and assistants that are consistent and documented.
• Coordinates owner coverage with your accountant so the plan and the tax return agree.
• Handles enrollment, renewals and employee questions so the office manager does not have to.

How do we keep hygienists and dental assistants?

Neighboring offices and group practices court hygienists and assistants, so coverage, income protection and a clear explanation at hire all count. We compare your package with peers to show where it is strong and where it is exposed.

Do collections-based and production pay count toward disability and life benefits?

Disability coverage should recognize production or collections-based compensation, or a rolling average of it, in its definition of covered earnings; otherwise associate dentists and the owner end up with benefits far below their real pay. That definition is the first clause worth reading in any policy, and we model each variation so you can compare the premium with the paycheck it would replace.

How do we retain hygienists?

Hygienists are in demand across Michigan, and many choose employers by schedule as much as pay. Competitive medical coverage, disability protection and flexibility around clinical days all help keep them. Practices that explain the package clearly at hire retain better than those that only list it. CFH benchmarks your offering against peer dental practices, shows where it lags, and helps you adjust contributions and communication without overbuilding the plan.

Can owners participate?

Dentists and orthodontists who own the practice can generally join the group plan alongside staff, though entity type and tax status shape how their coverage is handled. Owner participation can also affect plan testing for some benefits. CFH sets up eligibility classes and plan language so doctors and team members are covered properly, and we recommend your tax advisor confirm how owner premiums are treated.

How do part-time hygienists fit?

Many hygienists and assistants work a few clinical days a week, so eligibility should turn on weekly hours and job class, written plainly in the plan. The ACA treats thirty hours a week as full-time, usually measured over a look-back period, and the waiting period cannot exceed ninety days. CFH builds that language with you, so a part-time hygienist knows when coverage starts and the front desk applies it the same way.

What waiting period fits dental and orthodontic practices?

Federal law caps waits at ninety days. Hygienists and assistants are scarce in many Michigan markets, and a long wait can push a candidate toward another office. A first-of-month start after thirty days is common because it is simple and limits claims from brand-new staff. We compare thirty, sixty and ninety day waits using your turnover.

Does level funding make sense for a dental or orthodontic office?

Level funding can fit when claims are steady enough that unused dollars come back to you. In a small office, one or two members can swing the year, so the choice needs care. Stop-loss limits the cost of any single claim, yet a large one can still raise the next renewal. We check the design against your claim history first.

Can front desk and assistant staff afford our plan?

Hygienists, dental assistants and front desk staff are paid on different scales, so a single employer percentage rarely fits everyone; contribution tiers by class usually work better. Whether employees sign up depends on how much the practice pays, how the tiers are drawn and whether a cheaper plan is offered. We measure affordability against each role’s actual hourly wage instead of a blended figure, which keeps coverage within reach of the staff it was designed for.

How early should we plan the renewal?

Planning should open several months ahead of the renewal or start date, and sooner if a carrier change or a funding change is possible. Because chairs are full on treatment days, we fit meetings and document requests around your clinic schedule so patients are never kept waiting. Working in reverse from the plan date, we place claims review, carrier marketing and staff communication in lighter weeks, away from your busiest stretches of procedures.

What does CFH do for dental and orthodontic practices?

CFH serves dental and orthodontic offices as their benefits advisor, handling how the plan is designed, how renewals are approached, where compliance questions arise and how staff hear about their options. We also advise on retention benefits for hygienists and assistants, including any dental coverage you extend to your own team. One team owns your account, giving you a single number to call.

Employer Shared Responsibility

The statute that sets the 50 full-time-equivalent threshold and the penalties for large employers.

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Employer Reporting

The statute behind the annual coverage reports that large employers file with the IRS.

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