Dental care is a part of healthy living, and for this reason a dental benefit plan is a highly appreciated employee benefit. Yet, many employers do not offer a dental benefits plan as part of their overall benefits programs. This can add a financial burden for employees. Fortunately, MetLife has the knowledge and innovation to offer a range of affordable dental benefit plans to fit the needs of nearly all employers.

The MetLife Preferred Dentist Program (PDP)

The MetLife PDP is the cornerstone upon which we have built a wide range of dental benefit options. MetLife is the largest administrator of dental benefit plans among all single commercial carriers,¹ providing dental plan administration for nearly 21 million people.²

The benefits of the PDP and our flexible plan designs enable you to offer a dental program that meets plan objectives and maximizes value for you and your employees. 

• More than 100,000 dentist locations, including more than 23,000 specialist locations, participate in the PDP nationwide
• 1.34% network turnover, including a low 0.28% involuntary turnover rate³
• Both Employers and employees can save money because participating PDP dentists agree to accept negotiated fees, typically 10-35% below the average charges in an area
• MetLife’s negotiated fees extend to all in-network services – even to non-covered services like cosmetics and adult orthodontia – and to services provided after the annual benefit maximum has been exceeded
• The PDP provides freedom of choice — no office "lock-ins" or required specialty referrals. Employees may go out-of-network at any time and still receive benefits Employees may pay more out-of-pocket for the services of non-network dentists, but the choice remains theirs.
• All of MetLife's PDP plan designs utilize MetLife's Quality Initiatives Program to help control costs,⁴ promote oral health of patients through education and research and maintain a healthier, safer environment for patient care.

For a glimpse at PDP participant group information including online dentist searches with mapping capabilities, program information and more,  click here. 

The Quality Initiatives Program (QIP)

Big provider networks alone may not provide the most value for your dental plan dollars. We believe that you'll want a carrier that understands the changing trends in dentistry and has developed quality and utilization programs that address these changing needs.

To keep abreast of these changes, we established the MetLife Dental Advisory Council (DAC). The DAC is a group of academic and practicing dentists and corporate representatives responsible for overseeing MetLife's quality initiatives, dentist and employee communication and education, and the integration of research and professional standards into claim payment policies.

Other aspects of MetLife's QIP include:

• Rigorous up-front and periodic re-credentialing of dentists help to increase confidence in the qualifications of participating dentists
• Monitoring of dentist treatment patterns to help manage costs and improve program value
• Claim review by independent licensed dentists help provide appropriate plan reimbursements
• On-site consultations, self-assessment surveys and ongoing communications to help participating dentists promote a safe environment for patient care in accordance with safety guidelines
• Valuable discount programs and technology promotion to help dentists reduce overhead, improve overall business practices, and promote a stable network

Flexible Plan Designs

A range of flexible plan alternatives is available to help meet the specific needs of employers. Plan designs can provide varying levels of incentives to use in-network dentists, ranging from overlay plans (same benefit, coinsurance and maximum levels in- and out-of-network) to plans that can provide more cost savings (benefit levels vary in- and out-of-network). Certain plan designs are subject to restrictions and are not available in all states.

In addition, PDP Copay Plans may provide an attractive alternative to standalone or dual-option programs containing a Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) or access plan. These fee-for-service plan designs offer competitive pricing alternatives to "capitated" plans.

Graduating Dental Benefits⁵

MetLife now offers Graduating Dental Benefits that encourages participants to maintain their dental coverage and provides enhanced coverage to help ALL participants achieve and/or maintain good oral health. Participants, including dependents, are rewarded for maintaining dental coverage with MetLife without a gap in coverage with an increasing annual maximum benefit⁶ each year for up to three years.^7,8  When choosing the Graduating Benefit feature for your plan, you have the option to start employees at any benefit level and apply this feature at $250 increments for both in- and out-of network or $500 for in-network only. 

Graduating Dental Benefits is easy for employees to understand and enhances the value of an employer’s dental plan offering. Unlike some rollover plans in the marketplace, there are no dollar threshold limits or special qualifications. Participants can receive dental services when they are needed and not worry about deferring treatment and putting their oral health at risk in order to obtain additional benefits. To receive the benefit, employees simply need to enroll in the dental plan and have no gaps in coverage from year to year. If a gap in MetLife coverage occurs, Graduating Dental Benefits dollars are still available at the entry level.  So the participant does not lose the opportunity to participate again in Graduating Dental Benefits.

Voluntary Dental

For companies with more than 10 employees, MetLife offers a variety of voluntary dental plan designs, utilizing the Preferred Dentist Program (PDP). All voluntary dental programs are supported by communication, enrollment and customer service support to help promote these plans to employees. We handle the implementation and enrollment tasks with minimal employer involvement, further reducing administrative burden.

Indemnity Programs

MetLife offers a variety of reasonable and customary (R&C) and scheduled plan designs to ensure the flexibility that employers demand. These plans can be combined with our Preferred Dentist Program, providing savings on out-of-pocket expenses for employees who use participating PDP dentists.

Full Service Dental for Retirees

With Full Service Dental for Retirees, employers can enrich their retiree benefits with minimal administration and no benefit expense to their company. MetLife handles marketing, enrollment, customer service, recordkeeping and billing. Retirees pay the entire premium.

Dental coverage is seen as a valued benefit by employees of all ages, and today’s retirees, who in general, are living longer and healthier lives than previous generations are looking for continued access to affordable dental benefits. Our new Full Service Dental for Retirees was designed to provide employers with a turn-key way of satisfying retirees’ need for reasonably priced dental benefits, while giving employees the assurance of knowing that, when they retire, they continue to have access to dental benefits.

A Concern for Employees' Privacy

At MetLife, we are dedicated to protecting employees’ right to privacy.  Please see “A Concern for Your Privacy” on the group dental page for employees. Or click here.

Like most group dental policies, MetLife group policies contain certain exceptions, waiting periods, reductions, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. Please contact us for costs and complete details.

¹ 2006 MetLife Market Research, based on enrolled lives as of December 31, 2005
² MetLife data as of September 2006
³ MetLife data as of year-end 2006

⁴ By educating participants on the benefits of slowing the progression of dental disease or preventing the occurrence of new disease, more costly procedures may be avoided.

⁵ Currently available for groups with 500 or more eligible employees, excluding Copay plans and Full Service Dental for Retirees. Expected to be available for groups under 500 eligible lives in early 2008.

⁶ At this time, each increment to the annual maximum can be $250 for in-network and out-of-network or $500 for in-network only.

⁷ Exact timeframes are determined by the employer.

⁸ The highest annual maximum level is capped at three years or $3,000.