UnitedHealthcare Dental Launches Teledentistry Option to Help Plan Participants Avoid Unnecessary ER Visits

MINNETONKA, Minn. — UnitedHealthcare Dental continues to evolve its products and services to improve access to oral care, while lowering costs. The latest offering includes teledentistry services designed to reduce unnecessary emergency room (ER) visits and more efficiently get patients to the most appropriate setting for in-person care.

Details of this comprehensive approach include:

• Teledentistry capability for dental plan participants that provides access to at-home telephone and video consultations for advice and guidance to an appropriate setting for in-person care, such as their own dentist, another local dentist with availability or a primary care physician*. The resource is available at no member cost sharing (i.e., waived deductible and copay) or extra cost for people enrolled in UnitedHealthcare’s fully insured employer-sponsored, Medicare Advantage and select Medicaid dental plans**. Teledentistry is available to eligible plan participants by calling the UnitedHealthcare customer service number on the back of their member ID cards.
• Premium relief for employers with fully insured UnitedHealthcare group dental benefits, giving customers a 50% one-month premium reduction in July. This is part of the $1.5 billion of support to customers provided by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in response to COVID-19 challenges***.
• Enhanced care provider payments totaling up to $10 million through the end of 2020 for many network dentists for certain services related to routine exams, emergency services and initial evaluations for children and adults****. Enhanced payments range between $5 and $10 in addition to the dentist’s contracted fee for applicable services. Network dentists may be eligible to gain access to a portion of UnitedHealthcare Dental’s relief package by enrolling at uhcdental.com.

UnitedHealthcare Dental serves more than 13 million people enrolled in employer-sponsored, Medicare and Medicaid plans, helping provide access to care via a network of nearly 120,000 dental professionals.

*Not all dental services are eligible for teledentistry.

**Waived member cost sharing for teledentistry for eligible plan participants valid until Sept. 30, 2020; eligible teledentistry services will not apply to the frequency or annual out-of-pocket maximum under the terms of the benefit plan. Medicaid state-specific rules and regulations may apply. For Medicaid state specific details, please refer to your specific state UnitedHealthcare Community Plan website.

***Premium relief may not be available in all states.

****Enhanced rates available until program funding is exhausted and may not be available in all states or for all dental plans.