PBN Innovative Companies 2022
HEALTH & WELLNESS: First Circle Inc. and Chewsi RI
SOME 74 MILLION AMERICANS lack dental insurance. With that knowledge, First Circle Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Dental of Rhode Island, in 2017 developed Chewsi RI, a service connecting patients with dentists, periodontists and oral surgeons, among other services, offering affordable and accessible dental care.
Blaine Carroll, president of First Circle and Chewsi, says those lacking insurance are the pain point in the industry. “They don’t get all the dental care their dentist recommends because they can’t afford it,” Carroll said.
Licensed dentists enrolled with Chewsi provide quality dental services to Chewsi patients who, on average, save 24% on their dental bills. Chewsi, which currently has seven employees, assesses dentists a transaction fee on every service they provide such patients. “We offer a unique solution because we don’t charge patients or dentists a monthly or annual fee,” Carroll said.
Chewsi’s technology allows patients to search easily through an app or online for dentists, register with Chewsi via a desktop or mobile app, and approve payments for completed services in five different ways. Individuals with Medicaid or private insurance can use Chewsi for services not covered by their insurance, and Chewsi has no waiting periods, limitations or exclusions.
Jeff Naugus, First Circle vice president of network and business relations, says some patients still may have anxiety around dental visits. “[In such instances], Chewsi helps move them forward by delivering savings on dental care,” he said.
So, what’s the advantage for dentists – currently in approximately 5,000 locations across 12 states in New England, Florida, the Midwest and Hawaii – to participate in Chewsi? By offering their own inhouse membership plan, Chewsi dentists can track patients’ annual treatments and services, as well as patients’ reenrollment in Chewsi.
“We pay the dentists within two business days through an electronic funds transfer that goes directly into their bank account and we pick up the credit card processing fees,” Carroll said.
