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Brident Dental Enters into First-of-Its-Kind, Value-Based Contract in TexasBrident Dental & Orthodontics, an affiliate of Western Dental, one of the nation's largest dental providers and the leader in accessible, affordable oral healthcare, has entered into a first-of-its-kind agreement in Texas to participate in a value-based care and payment model under the state's Medicaid program. Brident Dental, which supports 34 affiliated dental practices in 11 Texas counties, entered into the agreement with DentaQuest in mid-September. The agreement will run through 2019 and represents an initial step toward a shift away from fee-for-service payments to alternative payment model (APM (News - Alert)) contracts, which link reimbursement levels to quality metrics and overall cost of care. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has encouraged dental benefits plans to work with providers to begin transitioning to value-based programs. Brident Dental and its affiliated practices welcome the opportunity to participate. Over time, these types of contract structures are expected to reduce administrative paperwork and promote a focus on disease prevention and oral health maintenance. "Our mission has always been to offer quality dental care that is convenient, affordable and accessible to all," said Dr. John Luther, Chief Dental Officer of Western Dental, of which Brident Dental is an affiliate. "We are pleased to work with the state of Texas and our dental partners in the Medicaid program on a value-based program with DentQuest as we continue to carry out that mission." The contract with Brident Dental's affiliated dental providers includes quarterly monitoring to ensure providers are meeting the quality metrics and guidelines included in the agreement. "We are pleased that we have reached this agreement with Brident Dental," said Joe Vesowate, Regional Vice President, DentaQuest. "As a 'double bottom line' company, DentaQuest has invested millions in research and evaluation of payment and care models that focus on person-centered care and value. With Brident Dental, our care improvement initiatives come to life in Texas. We applaud Texas Medicaid for taking the lead to foster and promote value-based alternative payment models as a critical step to achieving person-centered care. We are confident the program we are implementing with Brident Dental will not only help control costs but also will result in better patient care." The APM model is being introduced first to a very small number of Texas dental practices that are willing and best situated to begin changing from a fee-for-service model. No practice will be required to switch to a value-based model, but the state is hopeful that other practices will follow Brident Dental's lead. About Brident Dental Brident Dental & Orthodontics, with 34 affiliated practices throughout Texas, is an affiliate of Western Dental, a national leader in accessible, high quality, affordable oral healthcare with approximately 2.4 million patient visits annually in 249 affiliated offices throughout California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. Its offices provide a convenient Dental Home with comprehensive services that include general dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and endodontics. To learn more about Western Dental or inquire about an office in your community, visit www.westerndental.com or call 1-800-6-DENTAL. For more information, please visit www.brident.com.
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