MetLife enters agreement with IMEP

New York, NY – April 27, 2010 – MetLife, a leading provider of employee benefits that provides dental plan administration for over 21 million people, today announced an agreement with the Institute of Medical Emergency Preparedness (IMEP) that makes it easier for dentists and their staff to avail themselves of important, potentially life-saving information in preparation for medical emergencies occurring on their premises.  Through a membership arrangement, IMEP, created by doctors to promote safe patient care in the dental setting, helps dental offices  prepare for potential emergencies that could occur while patients are in their care, through online continuing education programs and monthly emergency drills.  

Through the agreement, MetLife is the only dental carrier able to offer its dental preferred provider organization (DPPO) and dental health maintenance organization (DHMO) providers a discounted membership in IMEP.  

“The work that IMEP does to prepare dental offices for medical emergencies is invaluable, and MetLife encourages all of our DPPO and DHMO network providers to take advantage of these services with over 40% discounted membership.  The IMEP membership is a complement to MetLife’s Quality Initiatives Program, which is dedicated to promoting improved oral health and safe environments for care through education and research.  For dental offices, it provides an opportunity to earn continuing education credits for staying on top of the latest research and techniques in the field of dentistry,” said Dr. David Guarrera, vice president, MetLife Dental Products.

“It is exciting to have the opportunity to work with MetLife, which has a long-standing commitment to providing the dental community with quality educational resources, recognized by the American Dental Association and Academy of General Dentistry.  Working with MetLife is a key step to continuing IMEP’s mission to making medical emergency preparedness a core competency in dental offices,” said Dr. John Roberson, IMEP co-founder.  

According to IMEP, the first ten minutes following a medical emergency are critical to the individual's chances for survival.  The IMEP membership enhances a dental office’s preparedness to manage the medical emergency in those crucial moments.