What BEST Life and Health Insurance Company does

BEST Life and Health Insurance Company is a privately held US insurance carrier founded in 1974 and headquartered in Irvine, California, with claims administration and billing operations based in Meridian, Idaho and additional corporate and home offices in Boise, Idaho and Austin, Texas respectively. The company underwrites and administers a four-line insurance portfolio — dental (PPO and Indemnity), vision (PPO via EyeMed and Indemnity), group term life (Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Essential tiers with AD&D), and short-term disability (13, 26, or 52 weeks) — for both employer groups (2+ employees) and individual policyholders. It is licensed to operate in 39 states, holds Qualified Health Plan issuer status on 33+ state ACA Health Insurance Marketplaces, and provides stand-alone dental plans there across four ACA tiers (Superior, Preferred, Essential Value, Essential Basic), plus off-exchange equivalents (Plus Gold, Plus Silver) in roughly 29 states.

The company is built on a network-driven product model. Its dental offering draws on a network of 155,000+ dentists via DenteMax as primary, supplemented by First Dental Health (California), Maverest (Indiana), Connection Dental (multi-state), Diversified Dental Services (Nevada), and Total Dental Administrator (Arizona, Utah). Its vision PPO rides the EyeMed Access Network of 40,000+ providers. Members also receive value-added benefits through partnerships with Working Advantage (discount portal), Amplifon (hearing discounts up to 68% off MSRP), WellCard Savings (Rx/medical discounts at 59,000+ pharmacies and 410,000+ physicians), and QualSight LASIK. The operational platform includes a member self-service portal (member.bestlife.com) for claims viewing and provider look-up and a broker portal (quoting.besthealthplans.com) for quoting, enrollment, commission statements, and renewals. No public API, SDK, or developer surface is offered. Claims turnaround on Dental, Vision, and Disability lines is advertised at five days.

BEST Life makes money through recurring monthly insurance premiums paid by group and individual policyholders. Pricing is quote-based, varying by plan type (PPO vs. Indemnity), state, group size, and coverage level; no public rate cards exist. Distribution is broker/agent-led for employer groups and ACA marketplace plus direct for individuals. The company is conservatively financed, with Standard Analytical Service, Inc. reporting in 2014 and 2019 that BEST Life has better solvency, substantially higher surplus funds, and more liquid assets than the 25 leading US insurance carriers, with no disclosed parent or subsidiary entities and no institutional investors in source materials.

Name

BEST Life and Health Insurance Company

Legal name

BEST Life and Health Insurance Company

Website

https://bestlife.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BEST Life is a privately held US insurance carrier founded in 1974 that underwrites and administers group and individual dental, vision, term life, and short-term disability insurance across 39 states, distributing through a broker network, ACA marketplaces, and direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dental, Vision, Life, and Disability Health Insurance

NAICS

Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Dental Insurance (FSAIAHAA)

Keywords

• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Group life insurance
• Short-term disability insurance
• ACA marketplace dental plans

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums - Group Plans: BEST Life generates revenue through recurring insurance premiums paid by employer groups for dental, vision, life, and disability coverage. Plans are designed for groups of 2 or more employees, with various plan types including PPO, Indemnity, and ACA-certified options.
2. Insurance Premiums - Individual Plans: Individual and family dental insurance plans sold through ACA health insurance marketplaces and directly, with premium payments collected on a recurring monthly basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

BEST Life underwrites and administers group and individual dental (PPO and Indemnity), vision (PPO and Indemnity), group term life, and short-term disability insurance products for employers and individuals across 39 U.S. states. The company also offers ACA-certified stand-alone dental plans on 33+ state Health Insurance Marketplaces and administers these policies through in-house claims, member, and broker platforms.

Product overview

BEST Life and Health Insurance Company offers a comprehensive portfolio of group and individual insurance products organized into four core product lines: Dental (PPO and Indemnity plans), Vision (PPO and Indemnity plans), Life (Term Life with Gold/Silver/Bronze/Essential tiers), and Short Term Disability. The company operates through a platform-plus-service model, combining insurance products with provider networks (DenteMax for dental, EyeMed for vision) and member benefit programs (Working Advantage, Amplifon, WellCard). For the ACA marketplace, BEST Life offers four standardized dental tiers (Superior, Preferred, Essential Value, Essential Basic) across 33 state Health Insurance Marketplaces, plus off-exchange equivalents (Plus Gold, Plus Silver). The company serves small and large employers in 39 states through broker distribution channels and provides individual/family coverage through marketplace and direct enrollment. Online self-service is delivered via member and broker portals for claims, provider look-up, enrollment, and administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BEST Life ACA Dental Plans: ACA-certified stand-alone dental plans available through Health Insurance Marketplaces.
• BESTOne Dental
• BEST Life Vision PPO
• BEST Life Term Life
• BEST Life Short Term Disability

Products and services

• Dental PPO Preferred Provider Organization dental insurance plans with in-network cost savings through contracted dentist networks, offered in Passive PPO, Active PPO, and state-specific California and Utah variants. Sold to employer groups of 2+ employees and to individuals.
• Dental Indemnity Indemnity dental insurance providing the same benefit levels in- and out-of-network, with additional savings when using one of 155,000 network dentists and a $1,000-per-accident dental accident benefit not counted toward the calendar year maximum. Sold to employer groups and individuals.
• Vision PPO Vision PPO insurance plans providing access to the EyeMed Access Network of 40,000+ vision care providers, with contacts available in addition to frames and lenses and discounts on laser vision correction. Sold to employer groups.
• Vision Indemnity Vision indemnity insurance plans offering freedom to see any licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist, with flexible deductible, allowance, and frequency options and contacts available in lieu of or in addition to frames and lenses.
• Term Life Group term life insurance with customizable coverage for employer-sponsored or voluntary groups of 2 or more employees, including AD&D and accelerated death benefit options, available in Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Essential plan tiers.
• Short Term Disability Short term disability insurance providing a financial safety net during recovery from non-work-related injury or illness, with benefit duration options of 13, 26, or 52 weeks. Available as employer-sponsored, voluntary, or custom plans.
• BEST Life ACA-Certified Dental Plans (Superior, Preferred, Essential Value, Essential Basic) Four ACA-certified stand-alone dental plan tiers (Superior, Preferred, Essential Value, Essential Basic) meeting Affordable Care Act requirements, sold through federal and state Health Insurance Marketplaces in 33 states to individuals and families.
• BEST Life Plus Off-Exchange Dental Plans (Plus Gold, Plus Silver) Off-exchange dental plans (Plus Gold and Plus Silver) with the same benefits and cost as marketplace offerings, sold directly by BEST Life across 29 states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-day claims turnaround for Dental, Vision, and Disability claims

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DenteMaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationDenteMax is the primary dental provider network used by BEST Life members. In select states, members who don't have DenteMax as their primary PPO network automatically get access as a secondary network for in-network benefits outside their primary service area.
• First Dental HealthcoreTechnology or IntegrationDental provider network available to BEST Life members in California, offering access to in-network dentists for dental PPO plans.
• Diversified Dental ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationDental provider network available to BEST Life members in Nevada for in-network dental benefits.
• MaverestcoreTechnology or IntegrationDental provider network available to BEST Life members in Indiana for in-network dental benefits.
• Connection DentalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDental provider network available to BEST Life members in Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Texas for in-network dental benefits.
• Total Dental AdministratorcoreTechnology or IntegrationDental provider network available to BEST Life members in Arizona and Utah for in-network dental benefits.
• EyeMed Vision CarecoreTechnology or IntegrationEyeMed Access Network is the Vision PPO network for BEST Life, providing access to more than 40,000 vision care providers. EyeMed also provides discount programs for members not enrolled in vision plans.
• Working AdvantageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember discount portal powered by Working Advantage offering exclusive discounts on theme parks, hotels, rental cars, concerts, sports events, electronics, and more. Passcode: bestlife.
• Amplifon Hearing Health CareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHearing health care discount program offering up to 68% off MSRP on hearing aids through a network of 8,800+ providers serving 80 million customers.
• WellCard SavingsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-insurance discount program providing savings on prescription drugs, physician visits, dental, vision, hearing, lab work, MRI/imaging, and fitness. Accepted at 59,000+ pharmacies and 410,000+ physicians.
• QualSight LASIKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLASIK network providing additional savings for BEST Life vision plan members on laser vision correction procedures.
• Standard Analytical Service, Inc.minorOthersIndependent insurance reporting agency that provides financial information and ratios comparing BEST Life to leading US insurance carriers. Reports show BEST Life has better solvency than top 25 carriers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ameritas: Mutual insurer offering dental, vision, and life insurance to employer groups and individuals. Closely aligned with BEST Life in product mix, broker-led distribution, and mid-market employer focus.
• Delta Dental: Largest US dental insurance carrier, offering group and individual dental PPO/HMO plans nationwide. Directly comparable to BEST Life's core dental PPO and Indemnity franchise, with materially greater scale and brand recognition.
• MetLife: National group benefits carrier offering dental, vision, life, and disability products to employers of all sizes. Closely mirrors BEST Life's four-line product portfolio across group and individual segments.
• Unum Group: Leading group disability and life insurer that also offers group dental and vision benefits. Competes with BEST Life for the same broker-sold employer benefits wallet.
• Sun Life Financial: Provides group dental, vision, life, disability and absence management benefits primarily through brokers to US employers. Comparable in product breadth and broker-led distribution to BEST Life.
• Reliance Standard: Group benefits carrier offering dental, life, disability, and vision products to mid-market employers through broker distribution. Closely comparable in size, product mix, and go-to-market to BEST Life.
• Guardian Life Insurance: Mutual insurer providing group dental, vision, life, and disability coverage through broker distribution to small, mid-market and large employers — a directly comparable benefits carrier with overlapping products and channels.
• Lincoln Financial Group: Group benefits carrier focused on life, disability, and dental insurance for employers. Directly comparable to BEST Life's life and disability lines and competes in the same broker channel.

Broad incumbents

• Humana: Major health insurer with employer group dental and vision offerings. Competes with BEST Life for employer benefits spend but as part of a much broader health insurance portfolio.
• Cigna Group: Large diversified health services company with a group dental and vision benefits business. Overlaps with BEST Life in employer dental but operates at vastly greater scale across medical, pharmacy, and behavioral.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BEST Life and Health Insurance Company