For Melissa and Rhode Island’s Blue plan: A new dental partner for healthier members
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) selected United Concordia Dental to become its new dental partner starting in 2016. United Concordia is proud to administer dental benefits to BCBSRI's more than 104,000 members.
For the Rhode Island plan, United Concordia Dental’s emphasis on the connection between oral health and overall wellness was a decisive factor. United Concordia Dental supports groundbreaking clinical research that continues to establish the critical link between oral health and overall wellness, especially for patients with common chronic diseases. Importantly, the research proves that better oral care can lead to better overall health, fewer hospitalizations and lower medical costs. United Concordia Dental’s 40 years of experience combined with these research findings clearly set the company apart.
"We share a focus on helping members to lead healthier lives," said Melissa B. Cummings, senior vice president and chief customer officer from BCBSRI. "Too often, dental care is overlooked in the health discussion. Thanks to United Concordia Dental, our members will now have greater access to dental care and oral wellness, available through United Concordia's large network of dentists, who emphasize the oral health-total health relationship."
The Rhode Island plan's members will have access to United Concordia Dental's Advantage Plus 2.0 network, one of the nation’s largest, serving patients through more than 108,000 unique dentists at 351,400 access points.
United Concordia Dental also began a new partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBSMN) in 2015, another partner that sees how United Concordia Dental gets health care right by going above and beyond high-quality, cost-effective dental care to additionally focus on the oral health—overall wellness connection in its everyday care of patients.
"We believe that people want an option for more coordinated dental and medical coverage," said David Corkum, senior vice president of commercial markets with BCBSMN. "So aligning the expertise of our Blue plan and United Concordia makes a lot of sense. United Concordia's products and network will provide our members with a better patient experience and a heightened awareness about the important link between oral health and total healthand how to treat one for the benefit of the other."