San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) January 18, 2007 -- Heads are turning in the dental community, as SureCircle Dental Self-Fund Online Manager (v.3.1) generates a renewed interest for employer self-funded dental plan options. SureCircle, a third-party administrator of employer self-funded dental plans, today announced the innovative technology which fully automates and improves the self-funding workflow for employers, employees and dentists.

Introduced in 1982, Direct Reimbursement (DR) plans have been touted as a simple and flexible benefits option. A DR plan is an affordable alternative to costly insurance premiums. It can be designed to cover as much, or as little as the employer wants - saving organizations on insurance premiums while increasing the level of benefits they offer.

For organizations that require online enrollment, real-time control, instant reporting, and online funding and payment, SureCircle’s new service offers some long-overdue relief.

In the past, administering a Direct Reimbursement plan was considered a virtual nightmare, requiring HR departments to invest far too many administrative hours. Even companies that hired TPAs to handle their funds often failed to experience the level of ease offered by conventional insurance plans.

The online service provides a way for dentists to submit electronic claims without any involvement from employers or employees. There is even an electronic funds transfer feature for automated payment, which eliminates manual check issuing by employers, while maintaining fund control.

For many organizations, offering basic dental coverage is not enough. Dental benefits play a vital role in achieving recruitment and retention goals. Now, DR plans have the potential to be the dental vehicle of choice for many organizations.
"A balance must be achieved between the financial cost, adequate dental coverage and administrative ease," explains Joseph Shatara, COO for SureCircle. "Our online service provides a comprehensive solution that addresses all of those corporate concerns."

"With our information portal, organizations and members have 24-7 online access to real-time data and reports," he adds, "which provides members with an enhanced benefit experience and employers with a valued plan that doesn’t compromise on convenience."

Whether organizations want to provide the highest quality coverage, reduce member out-of-pocket expenses, or lower their overall costs, SureCircle can help organizations meet their objective with a customized dental plan.