MetLife has announced that it is working with Dentalxchange to provide dentists with a free and easy solution for submitting insurance claims for all payers via the Internet. The new service will be available later this year from www.MetDental.com, MetLife�s recently launched Dental Provider Portal. The Provider Portal allows dentists to access eligibility and plan design information, claim and pre-treatment estimate status or history, and other information about MetLife dental plans designed to make working with MetLife easier online.
MetLife Dental administers dental benefits for more than 17 million Americans at thousands of companies and organizations of all sizes. Dentalxchange is the leading provider of Internet-based applications and connectivity solutions for the $60 billion dental industry.
"Integrating a free and easy claims solution with our Dental Provider Portal will ensure faster, cleaner claims and reduce denials caused by inaccurate data," said Todd Katz, vice president of MetLife Dental. "The ultimate goal is faster reimbursement for dentists and improved satisfaction for patients."
Currently dentists must either submit paper claims manually or pay about 50 cents per claim to submit them electronically, according to Bill Jackson, DDS, senior vice president of Dentalxchange�s Connectivity Group.
"The average dental office pays at least $100 a month to process claims. Aggregated, this solution could save U.S. dental offices more than $150 million annually," said Dentalxchange CEO Steve Brewer.
Using the new Web-based claims solution, dentists will be able to submit all claims to every insurance carrier or administrator free of charge. For individuals covered under MetLife dental plans, dentists will be able to verify eligibility and plan details in real time. Dentalxchange is working with other insurance companies to provide eligibility and plan details for all dental plans, in addition to free claims submission.
"In order to maximize usage and satisfaction, we feel it is mission critical to offer dental offices a Web-based claim submission solution that is multi-payer, free and easy to use. Our alliance with Dentalxchange is the right way to deliver on this mission," said Mr. Katz. MetLife is a minority investor in Dentalxchange.
