Insurer plans national settlement with dentists

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003 | 9:35 a.m.

Aetna, one of the biggest health insurers, plans to announce today that it has settled a lawsuit over billing practices with most of the nation's dentists.

Both sides said they expected the settlement, which was signed on Friday, to improve relations and allow dentists to spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork.

In the agreement with 147,000 dentists, Aetna is expected to pledge to clarify what services it covers and how much it is willing to pay for them. It will also work to speed payments and reduce red tape.

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