Smile Direct Club and UnitedHealthcare Help People Improve Their Smiles and Save Money
April 25 2019 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
- More than 1.5 million
UnitedHealthcare dental plan participants can purchase clear
aligners for less than $1,000 out of pocket, potentially offering
improved convenience and significant savings for orthodontic
care
- New relationship among the first
instances of a dental plan covering, on an in-network basis,
“teledentistry” and direct-to-consumer clear aligners, providing
people with doctor-directed, remote aligner therapy to help
straighten teeth
People enrolled in most UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored and
individual dental plans with orthodontic coverage can now purchase
SmileDirectClub’s clear aligners for in most cases less than $1,000
out of pocket, helping plan participants improve their smiles, and
potentially save time and thousands of dollars on orthodontic
care.
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UnitedHealthcare and SmileDirectClub are
collaborating to help eligible plan participants improve their
smiles and save money through a new network relationship (Source:
SmileDirectClub).
SmileDirectClub and UnitedHealthcare’s new network relationship
is among the first instances of a dental plan specifically
covering, on an in-network basis, teledentistry and
direct-to-consumer clear aligners, a care model pioneered by
SmileDirectClub to improve access to, and affordability of,
orthodontic care.
More than 1.5 million UnitedHealthcare dental plan participants
with orthodontic coverage* can start the process by visiting
SmileDirectClub.com to order an impression kit or schedule a 3D
digital image at any of SmileDirectClub’s more than 235 SmileShops
across the country. Through this collaboration, eligible
UnitedHealthcare dental plan participants can review their benefit
information and potential out-of-pocket expenses with
SmileDirectClub customer care. Plan participants will soon be able
to visit the SmileDirectClub website to enter their dental plan
details to access real-time information and cost transparency.
SmileDirectClub connects people with a state-licensed dentist or
orthodontist to remotely review and prescribe a personalized
treatment plan, monitor progress and eliminate the need for
in-office checkups, providing a convenient and cost-effective way
for consumers to have their teeth straightened. SmileDirectClub’s
clear aligners work best for people 12 or older with all adult
teeth and mild-to-moderate crowding or spacing issues.
Nearly half (45 percent) of Americans say they are planning to
make improving their oral health a priority this year, according to
a recent UnitedHealthcare survey.
“People in over 60 percent of U.S. counties1 do not have access
to an orthodontist. SmileDirectClub increases access to a better,
straighter smile through our teledentistry platform, giving more
patients a convenient way to get the orthodontic care they need,”
said Alex Fenkell, co-founder of SmileDirectClub. “By working with
UnitedHealthcare, we will enable more people to get the smiles
they’ll love and improve their confidence.”
“UnitedHealthcare’s new relationship with SmileDirectClub
enables more people to improve their smiles, helping encourage them
to make a greater commitment to their dental health,” said Tom
Wiffler, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits. “Research
shows oral health is connected to overall health, so working with
SmileDirectClub helps further meet our dental plan participants’
oral health and whole-health needs.”
*Not all UnitedHealthcare dental plans include orthodontic
coverage.
About
SmileDirectClubSmileDirectClub was founded on a simple
belief: Everyone deserves a smile they love. Recognizing an
opportunity to increase access to affordable dental care, the
company pioneered remote teledentistry and became the market leader
of doctor-directed, remote clear aligner therapy. A digital network
of 240+ state-licensed dentists and orthodontists approve and
oversee customer SmilePlans from start to finish. Customers enter
the SmileDirectClub journey in two ways: An Impression Kit sent by
mail or by visiting one of 235+ SmileShops for 3D digital images.
SmileDirectClub was founded in 2014 by Alex Fenkell and Jordan
Katzman in partnership with Camelot Venture Group, whose portfolio
companies include 1-800 CONTACTS and Quicken Loans.
Available in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, SmileDirectClub is
based in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information,
visit SmileDirectClub.com.
About
UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping
people live healthier lives and making the health system work
better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience,
meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted
relationships with care providers. In the United States,
UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit
programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.2 million
physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other
care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health
benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated
health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of
the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified
health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare
at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
2017www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teleorthodontics-and-access-to-care-at-least-84-percent-of-underserved-us-counties-now-have-access-to-orthodontic-treatment-300671890.html
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190425005207/en/
Will ShanleyUnitedHealthcare714-204-8005will.shanley@uhc.com
Carrie
MooreSmileDirectClub202-905-6964carrie.moore@smiledirectclub.com
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