Financial Summary of the 2025 Market for Dental Insurance
Massachusetts dental carriers earned almost $1.061 billion and paid $888 million in dental care claims payments to providers in 2025. Carriers spent $161 million in administrative expenses and had a net gain of $31 million in 2025.
Dental Loss Ratios
The carriers’ average weighted Dental Loss Ratio (MLR) was 85.2% in 2025.
- DLRs differed from one carrier to another, as well as by product and by size of the groups in a sub-market. While the average weighted DLR for individual coverage was 77.5% in 2025, the average weighted DLR for small groups ranged from 64.4% to 79.4%. In the large group market, the average weighted DLR ranged from 79.4% to 96.3%.
Administrative Expenses
| Expenses | Approximate Total in Dollars ($) | Percent (%) of all Administrative Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Administrative | $6.3 million | 3.9% |
| Marketing and Sales | $21.4 million | 13.3% |
| Distribution Expenses | $36.1 million | 22.4% |
| Claims Administration | $13.2 million | 8.2% |
| Dental Administration | $16.4 million | 10.2% |
| Network Operational | $4.5 million | 2.3% |
| Charitable Expense | $0.5 million | .31% |
| Taxes, Assessments & Fines | $14.4 million | 8.9% |
| General Administration | $44.3 million | 27.5% |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | $3.2 million | 2.0% |
| Capital Expenses and Depreciation | $1.0 million | 0.6% |
| Total Expenses | $161.3 million | 100.0% |