MetLife has introduced a new coinsurance option as part of its Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO) MET Series offerings.
The new feature is currently available in California and Texas through SafeGuard Health Plans, a MetLife company, and is pending regulatory approval in Florida.
The insurer said that both the coinsurance and current copay options are available to all employers with two or more employees.
According to the MetLife, the coinsurance feature expresses patients’ financial responsibility as a percentage of the total cost for the service.
MetLife Dental vice president Alan Hirschberg said that the new coinsurance option provides an easy way for employers to introduce the concept of a DHMO to employees who may have participated in other types of plans including DPPOs and even medical plans.
"It provides a familiar method for comparing among plan choices and helps employees easily understand their financial obligation, if any, when they visit the dentist," Hirschberg said.
In addition to the new coinsurance feature, the MET Series of DHMO plans provide coverage for over 400 covered dental services, including implants, and access to a growing network of participating providers with more than 15,000 participating dentist locations serving the California, Florida and Texas markets.