Membership Criteria
Full Voting Members (referred to as "Dental Plan Members") are companies providing or administering dental benefits on a fully insured or self insured basis through one or more of the following products:
Dental HMO products provide comprehensive dental benefits to a defined population of enrollees and pay for general dentistry services from a contracted network of dentists primarily under capitation agreements. This term includes point-of-service dental HMOs that provide an enrollee the opportunity to opt-out of the HMO provider network at the point-of-service and obtain dental services on a fee-for-service basis.
Dental PPO products have two key characteristics. First, dental plans enter into contracts with providers for the expressed purpose of obtaining a discount from overall fees. Discounts may be negotiated on a provider practice basis or through use of a schedule of fees. Second, enrollees receive value from these discounts when using contracted providers. Dental PPO products do not include participating provider agreements based on fee-for-service where the provider and plan do not intend to reduce fees.
Discount Dental (Referral) Plans are products in which a panel of dentists agrees to perform services for enrollees at a specified discounted price, or discount off their usual charge. No payment is made under the referral plan to the dentists; dentists are paid the negotiated fee directly by the enrollee. This product provides access but the organization providing access to the dental plan does not assume underwriting risk.
Dental Indemnity products are dental benefit plans where providers are reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis and there are no discounted provider contract arrangements whereby the provider agrees to accept a fee below their customary fee.
Full Voting Members of the National Association of Dental Plans must be in good standing with the approriate regulatory authority in its state/s of operation.
Non-Voting Members
Supporting Organizations (referred to as "Affiliate Members") are legal entities such as partnerships, corporations, or other institutions or organizations involved in the dental industry as providers of professional services or products to companies defined as NADP full voting members.
Associate Members of the National Association of Dental Plans are legal entities (or divisions or departments of legal entities) involved in the dental practice management industry but do not provide dental benefits as defined for full voting members e.g., companies providing management support to dentists and dental group practices or companies involved in the organization of dental networks for the purpose of management support, representation or contracting with companies providing dental benefits. Such companies may not be involved in the direct provision of dental benefits to employers or individuals.
International Members are companies providing dental benefits or similar organizations based and doing business outside the United States.
Individual Members are solo agents, independent consultants, university personnel, dentists, dental office personnel, dental students or other persons who are not otherwise involved in the dental benefits industry or employed by a company qualifying in any other level of membership.
NOTES: All categories of membership must (a) subscribe to and support the purposes of the Association, i.e. to promote and advance the dental benefits industry to improve consumer access to affordable, quality dental care, (b) meet any additional membership criteria approved by the Board, and (c) stay current in the payment of dues. Only full voting members may vote on Association business. However, members in all other categories are eligible to serve on volunteer groups appointed by the Board and may attend meetings of such groups.
