NADP On The Move in 2012
December
In 2012 NADP staff members and volunteers focused on the short and long term goals that will greatly affect the industry. The following brief summaries highlight how your association represents your interests to multiple stakeholders and the media.
Key Meetings
Advancing Oral Health
U.S. NOHA
In March, NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland was elected to the executive committee of the US National Oral Health Alliance (US NOHA), which provides the platform for a diverse network of stakeholders to forge common ground in order to harness opportunities and create viable solutions for improved oral health through prevention and treatment for vulnerable populations across our country. As a member of the Executive Committee, she shared her industry knowledge and expertise at the June and August meetings and later at the Fourth Leadership Colloquium in New Orleans in November. NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown also attended the Colloquium.
Advancing Health Care Reform Objectives
White House
In April, Health Care Reform Task Force Chair Jon Seltenheim (United Concordia Companies, Inc.) and NADP Executive Evelyn F. Ireland gained an audience with the White House to explain the needed regulatory fixes with the Affordable Care Act regarding equitable treatment for individuals receiving dental coverage from small group employers outside the Exchange.
Washington, D.C.
To advocate for the dental benefits industry’s positions on health care reform, NADP made numerous trips to the nation’s capital. In May, NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway met with National Association of Insurance Commissioner (NAIC) staff on May 10. In addition, she attended a Public Affairs Roundtable discussion on trade association Political Action Committees, and met with Washington, DC offices of NADP members. In November, Health Care Reform Task Force Chair Jon Seltenheim (United Concordia Companies, Inc.) and NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland met with Senator Stabenow and lobbyists at Brown Rudnick to fine-tune strategy regarding the Equitable Treatment issue.
Supreme Court Strategy
In preparation for the decision from the Supreme Court of the United States, members of the NADP Board and Health Care Reform Task Force met in Washington, D.C. to develop strategies for the possible health care reform scenarios arising from the ruling.
HHS/FFE
On June 19, members of the NADP Board and Health Care Reform Task Force met with staff of the Federally Facilitated Exchange (FFE) of Health and Human Services to discuss appropriate inclusion of dental policies. This will be critical as FFE will likely operate in up to 40 states not ready to operate their own Exchanges by 2014. FFE staff proposed future meetings to continue dental related discussions. In August, NADP Executive Evelyn Ireland traveled to Washington, D.C. met with FFE to discuss inclusion of dental in their development of “Plan Compare,” the FFE Exchange website.
HHS Regional Meetings
On Aug. 14 in Washington, D.C., CCIIO kicked off its series of four regional meetings focusing on the Affordable Care Act. The first meeting was broadcast live via the Internet. NADP members are attended all other regional sessions in Atlanta, Chicago and Denver. NADP greatly appreciates any summaries from attendees, and posted updates in Dental Interact.
AHIP Issue Conference
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway attended the America’s Health Insurance Plan State Issues Conference Oct. 4-5 in Washington, D.C. The conference featured sessions on ACA implementation issues within the states, including Exchange development.
CADP
In January, NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway represented NADP members at the California Association of Dental Plans (CADP) Legislative and Regulatory Conference in Sacramento. Conference highlights included presentations about public programs and the California Exchange. At the CADP Annual Conference in June, NADP Board members Jeff Album (Delta Dental of CA, NY, and PA & Affiliates), Kirk Andrews (UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits) and Executive Director Evelyn Ireland presented “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” which covered various aspects of health care reform.
GUAA Annual Conference
At the Group Underwriters Association of America Annual Conference, NADP Executive Director Evelyn Irelandpresented “Health Care Reform Update: Impact on Dental On Plans” during a May 22 workshop.
NAIC
Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway represented the dental benefits industry at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners during meetings in March, August and November and on various conference calls regarding a variety of health care reform issues ranging from SERFF, EHB and QHPs.
NCOIL
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi for the spring meeting of the National Conference of Insurance Commissioners (NCOIL) meeting. The meeting featured a symposium on Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Costs and Coverage.
NCSL
At the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Aug. 6-9 in Chicago, Director of Government RelationsKris Hathaway raised two critical industry issues: Equitable Treatment and the availability for a dental small employer benchmark with panelists including Mike Hash, acting director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) and Cindy Mann, director of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
NASHP
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway traveled to Baltimore for the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Conference Oct. 15- 17, featuring sessions on Exchanges, Medicaid and health care reform.
Advancing Industry Collaboration and EDI Standards
AADC Annual Workshop
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown traveled to Orlando, Florida where he represented NADP members at the American Association of Dental Consultants Annual Workshop May 16-20 in Orlando, Florida.
American Dental Association
The NADP Board of Directors met with leaders of the American Dental Association (ADA) last week in Chicago to discuss ongoing collaboration on areas of mutual interest. Board members attending included: Chair Karen Gustin, llif(Ameritas), Vice Chair Forrest Flint (HealthPartners), Secretary Dr. Doyle Williams (DentaQuest), TreasurerKirk Andrews (UnitedHealthcare), Jeff Album (Delta Dental of CA, NY, PA and Affiliates), Jeanne Hensel(Humana), Dr. Fred Sharpe (Avesis), Chris Swanker, FSA (Guardian), and Brian Watts (First Dental Health). NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland was also present.
ADA Annual Session
To support the association’s continued collaborations on areas of mutual interest, NADP Deputy Executive DirectorTimothy L. Brown met with key American Dental Association staff at the ADA Annual Conference Oct. 18-23 in San Francisco.
ADA CMC
In February and August NADP shared the dental benefits industry views regarding CDT code revisions during the fi meetings of the ADA Code Maintenance Committee (CMC, formerly Code Advisory Committee) in Chicago.
ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI)
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefits industry during the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics meeting, Feb. 20-22 in Chicago. SCDI develops industry standards and guidelines for electronic transactions.
CDA
Director of Research and Information Jerry Berggren presented a dental benefits industry overview during a June 22 California Dental Association (CDA) workgroup meeting in Sacramento, CA.
DentalPlans.Com
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway attended the DentalPlans.com meeting for discount dental plans in Palm Beach, Florida.
DQA
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown and Dr. Craig Amundson (HealthPartners) traveled to Chicago for the Dental Quality Alliance meetings in July and November to offer industry input concerning the development of performance measures for oral health care.
NAHU
Director of Research and Information Jerry Berggren and Director of Membership and Communications Rene Chapin attended the National Association of Health Underwriters Annual Convention (NAHU) in Las Vegas June 24-26. Their mission was to learn more about brokers’ education and content needs regarding dental benefits through a series of focus groups and attendance at various conference sessions.
NCVHS
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown testified June 20 before the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) in Washington, D.C. regarding the new process for review of the CDT Codes. The testimony included concerns express by the diverse representation of NADP member plans and addressed the unresolved issues the industry has with the new ADA Code Advisory Committee and process.
X12 Trimester Meetings
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefits industry at the X12 Trimester Meetings X12 maintains global Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standards, which drive business processes such as dental claims.
WEDI National Conference
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefit industry’s unique needs and point of view during the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) National Conference May 1-3 in Tampa, Florida. Tim joined with 350 health care industry professionals to discuss challenges and opportunities of the Affordable Care Act, including recommended best practices for ICD-10 implementation.
Media Highlights
Media interest in dental benefits was strong in 2012. Topics for articles and interviews ranged from the types of benefits available to the impact of health care reform. Highlights (in chronological order) include:
Industry Interviews and Articles
LA Times – Reporter Lisa Zamosky interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland about coverage of dental implants by insurance and discount plans.
Chicago Dental Society - NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland provided data-rich background information and insightful comments of interest to providers.
Maine Public Radio - NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland commented on industry practices regarding the frequency of fluoride treatments paid for by dental plans in an interview with Josie Juang.
CDS Review Chicago Dental Society - The Chicago Dental Society featured an interview with NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland, CAE, in the article, “Financial and Health Literacy of your Patients.”
A.M. Best – Lori Chordas interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about dental trends and the impact of health care reform on dental benefits.
Bankrate.com – Freelance writer Rob DiGiacomo interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about tips on what to look for when comparing different dental policies.
Wiki Answers - NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland updated information about the coordination of dental benefits on Wiki Answers.
Smart Money - NADP provided background information regarding annual maximums and benefit basics.
Wall Street Journal - NADP provided information regarding the differences between discount and dental insurance plans
AngiesList.com - Michael Schroeder interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about employers offering dental coverage by size and percentage of dental benefits now written in the small and large group market.
MedTech Media's Healthcare Payer News - Anthony Brino interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about projections for pediatric dental plans, based on some of the analysis from NADP's June Issue Brief.
NADP Gabryl Award Release: NADP issued a press release, “”Hentschel of The Principal Financial Group Receives
NADP Gabryl Award.” The release reached an audience of 8.2 million and was published verbatim in major media markets across the U.S. including Boston, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Albany (NY), Anchorage, El Paso, Jacksonville, Lexington, Macon, Oakland, Columbus and San Bernardino. A link to the press release also appeared on 147 websites including Yahoo Finance, CBS News in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas/Fort Worth. It was also tweeted by American Stock Picks and Business Press.
NADP Consumer Survey Release: NADP issued a press release, “NADP Survey Reveals Consumers’ Perceptions on Dental Benefits.” The release reached an audience of more than 8.8 million. It was published verbatim major media markets across the U.S. including Raleigh, Houston, Philadelphia, Carlsbad, Cincinnati, Dallas, Farmington, Kansas City, Pasadena, San Diego and Buffalo. A link to the press release also appeared on 136 websites including Yahoo Finance and CBS News in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. It was also tweeted by American Stock Picks and Business Press.
HealthyCal.Org: Reporter Helen Afrasiabi interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about how health policy fulfills its objectives (or not) regarding children’s oral health.
Angie’s List: Michael Schroeder interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland regarding employers offering dental coverage by size and percentage of dental benefits now written in the small and large group markets.
Wall Street Journal: Jonnelle Marte requested overall dental benefits trend information.
Medscape: Laird Harrison interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about effects of the Affordable Care Act on dental benefits.
Employee Benefit Advisor: Brian M. Kalish interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland for his article, “7 questions that brokers must be able to answer in 2013 to offer dental and medical coverage to individuals/small groups in 2014.”
Medscape Medical News: Reporter Laird Harrison interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Irelandregarding the EHB rules and whether dental plans could be offered separately from medical plans in the small group market outside the exchanges.
November 2012
During the month of November, NADP advanced the industry by meeting with key lawmakers and stakeholders and informing the media about the impacts of health care reform on dental benefits. Following are highlights of these activities:
Meetings
DQA
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefits industry during the Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) meeting Nov. 2 in Chicago. NADP holds a voting seat on the DQA, which was established to develop performance measures for oral health care.
U.S. NOHA
NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland, CAE, and Deputy Executive DirectorTimothy L. Brown traveled to New Orleans for the Fourth Leadership Colloquium of the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance (US NOHA). The meeting focused on metrics for improving oral health. Evelyn holds a seat on the U.S. NOHA executive committee.
NAIC
Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway is representing the dental benefits industry at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Fall Conference in Washington, D.C. Nov. 29-Dec 2. State exchanges are a hot topic at this event.
Washington, D.C.
Earlier this week, Health Care Reform Task Force Chair Jon Seltenheim (United Concordia Companies, Inc.) and NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland met with Senator Stabenow and lobbyists at Brown Rudnick to fine-tune strategy regarding the Equitable Treatment issue.
Media
Dr. Bicuspid: NADP provided Features Editor Donna Domino background information about the impact of the recent Essential Health Benefits rules and their impact on dental benefits.
Medscape Medical News: Reporter Laird Harrison interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland regarding the EHB rules and whether dental plans could be offered separately from medical plans in the small group market outside the exchanges.
October 2012
The powerful, respected voice of the dental benefits industry was heard loud and clear this past month as NADP volunteers and staff represented your views at critical meetings and in the media.
Meetings
X12 Trimester Meeting
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefits industry at the X12 Trimester Meeting in Rochester, NY. X12 maintains global Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) standards which drive business processes such as dental claims.
AHIP Issue Conference
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway attended the America’s Health Insurance Plan State Issues Conference Oct. 4-5 in Washington, D.C. The conference featured sessions on ACA implementation issues within the states, including Exchange development.
NASHP
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway traveled to Baltimore for the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Conference Oct. 15- 17, featuring sessions on Exchanges, Medicaid and health care reform.
ADA ANNUAL SESSION, SAN FRAN, TLB 10/18-23
To support the association’s continued collaborations on areas of mutual interest, NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown met with key American Dental Association staff at the ADA Annual Conference Oct. 18-23 in San Francisco.
ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI)
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefits industry during the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics meeting, Oct. 15-17 in San Francisco. SCDI develops industry standards and guidelines for electronic transactions.
DQA
As they strive to move the industry one step closer to the development of dental quality measures, NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown and Dr. Craig Amundson, HealthPartners, will meet with fellow members of the Dental Quality Alliance Nov. 1-2 in Chicago.
Media
NADP Gabryl Award Release: NADP issued a press release, “”Hentschel of The Principal Financial Group Receives NADP Gabryl Award.” The release reached an audience of 8.2 million and was published verbatim in major media markets across the U.S. including Boston, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Albany (NY), Anchorage, El Paso, Jacksonville, Lexington, Macon, Oakland, Columbus, San Bernardino. A link to the press release also appeared on 147 websites including Yahoo Finance, including CBS News in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Dallas/Fort Worth. It was also tweeted by American Stock Picks and Business Press.
NADP Consumer Survey Release: NADP issued a press release, “NADP Survey Reveals Consumers’ Perceptions on Dental Benefits.” The release reached an audience of more than 8.8 million. It was published verbatim major media markets across the U.S. including Raleigh, Houston, Philadelphia, Carlsbad, Cincinnati, Dallas, Farmington, Kansas City, Pasadena, San Diego and Buffalo. A link to the press release also appeared on 136 websites including Yahoo Finance, including CBS News in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. It was also tweeted by American Stock Picks and Business Press.
HealthyCal.Org: Reporter Helen Afrasiabi interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about how health policy fulfills its objectives (or not) regarding children’s oral health.
Angie’s List: Michael Schroeder interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland regarding employers offering dental coverage by size and percentage of dental benefits now written in the small and large group markets.
Wall Street Journal: Jonnelle Marte requested overall dental benefits trend information.
Medscape: Laird Harrison interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about effects of the Affordable Care Act on dental benefits.
Employee Benefit Advisor: Brian M. Kalish interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland for his article, “7 questions that brokers must be able to answer in 2013 to offer dental and medical coverage to individuals/small groups in 2014.
September 2012
Because NADP’s reputation as the representative and recognized resource of the dental benefits industry continues to grow, the media continues to contact the association for interviews and background information. This month NADP also celebrated the volunteers who went the extra mile in their service to the organization with the presentations of the Gabryl, Don Mayes Leadership and Star Awards during CONVERGE 2012 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Media Interviews and Articles
AngiesList.com - Michael Schroeder interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about employers offering dental coverage by size and percentage of dental benefits now written in the small and large group market.
MedTech Media's Healthcare Payer News - Anthony Brino interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about projections for pediatric dental plans, based on some of the analysis from NADP's June Issue Brief.
NADP Dental Intelligence - NADP continued its monthly article series targeting brokers by distributing Tips for Selling Dental Coverage to NADP members, the National Association of Health Underwriters and CDHC Health Solutions.
Spotlight on NADP Members
NADP honored the following volunteers at CONVERGE 2012 for their outstanding contributions to the association:
Gabryl Award - Bruce Hentschel, Principal Financial Group (See related article)
Don Mayes Leadership Award – Drs. Paul Chaitkin, First Commonwealth/Guardian, and Doyle Williams, DentaQuest
Star Awards - Jeff Album, Delta Dental of CA, NY, PA, & Affiliates; Forrest Flint, HealthPartners; Rob Goren, Delta Dental of MO; Rick Lantz, Delta Dental of MI, IN, OH; Theresa McConeghey, Principal Financial Group; Linda Moore, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC; James Mullen, Delta Dental of CA, NY, PA, & Affiliates; Chuck Stewart, Smile Brands; Chris Swanker, Guardian Life Insurance Company; Sue Wright, Lincoln Financial.
Congratulations to the 2012 NADP Star Winners!
August 2012
The voice of the dental benefits industry resonated strongly and clearly as NADP represented you at vital meetings that significantly impact your company. With continuation of its Dental Intelligence series, NADP also continues to serve as the authoritative dental benefits industry resource.
Meetings
NCSL
At the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Aug. 6-9 in Chicago, Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway raised two critical industry issues: Equitable Treatment and the availability for a dental small employer benchmark with panelists including Mike Hash, acting director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) and Cindy Mann, director of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
US NOHA
At the US National Oral Health Alliance (US NOHA) board retreat Aug 9-10 in Cambridge, MA, NADP Executive
Evelyn Ireland shared industry insight and expertise regarding the colloquia series and direction of the organization.
NAIC
Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway represented the dental benefits industry at the Aug. 9-14 National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) meeting, which included a forum on SERFF functionality. SERFF is hosted by the NAIC and allows carriers to provide their rate and form filings to the states electronically. ). It is being expanded for use in qualifying Qualified Health Plans across all states for Exchanges.
HHS Regional Meeting
On Aug. 14 in Washington, D.C., CCIIO kicked off its series of four regional meetings focusing on the Affordable Care Act. The first meeting was broadcast live via the internet, and while much of the discussion was stale. NADP members are attending all other regional sessions in Atlanta, Chicago and Denver. NADP greatly appreciates any summaries from attendees, and will post any news updates in the Exchange Open Forum of Dental Interact.
ADA CAC
Drs. Doyle Williams (DentaQuest) and Charles Stewart (Aetna) and NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown shared industry feedback and recommendations relating to the guidelines for the Code Advisory Committee (CAC) at the Aug. 17 meeting at the American Dental Association in Chicago.
FFE
NADP Executive Evelyn Ireland traveled to Washington, D.C. for an Aug. 21 meeting with Federally Facilitated Exchange to discuss inclusion of dental in their development of “Plan Compare,” the FFE Exchange website.
Media
Dental Intelligence Series - The NADP Communications Committee, chaired by Amanda Bjornson (Principal Financial Group) continues its articles series targeting brokers with publication of “Six Free Resources for Brokers to Drill into.” The article was published in the CDHC Solutions broker eNewsletter and website. NADP also distributed the article to member companies for inclusion in their publications and to the National Association of Health Insurance Underwriters (NAHU) for publication, HIU magazine.
July 2012
In July NADP represented the dental benefit industry at critical meetings and in press interviews.
Meetings
DQA
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown and Dr. Craig Amundson (HealthPartners) traveled to Chicago for the Dental Quality Alliance meeting July 12-13 to offer industry input concerning the development of performance measures for oral health care.
Media
USA Today/Media Planet - Reporter Avery Hurt interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland regarding ACA provisions that specifically address dental insurance; the effect of dental coverage on overall health and how including dental coverage in health care helps to save money
Comings and Goings
Congratulations to Dr. Paul Chaitkin on his recent retirement from First Commonwealth (Guardian). Dr. Chaitkin was an active NADP volunteer who served as chair of the Professional Relations Council (PRC) Clinical Workgroup and past vice chair and volunteer of the PRC CDT Workgroup. He also received the 2003 NADP Star Award for development of processes & protocols for CDT Advisory Committee.
Dominion Dental Services, Inc. (Dominion) is pleased to announce Mike Davis as its new President. Davis, a co-founder of the company and a long-term senior executive, succeeds former President Mitch McGlynn, who retired April 1.
June 2012
The month of June sizzled with pivotal industry events and meetings that play an important role in the success of the industry and your business operations. NADP volunteers and staff traveled from coast-to-coast, serving as your representative to policy makers, interested stakeholders and the media.
Meetings
CADP Annual Conference
NADP Board members Jeff Album (Delta Dental of CA, NY, PA & Affiliates), Kirk Andrews (UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits) and Executive Director Evelyn Ireland presented “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” at the California Association of Dental Plans Annual Conference (CADP), June 1, in Indian Wells, California. The presentation covered various aspects of health care reform.
x-12
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown traveled to Indianapolis June 3-6 for the Accredited Standards Committee X12 to represent the unique needs of dental plans during discussions of electronic transaction standards.
U.S. NOHA
NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland shared her industry knowledge and expertise during the Executive Committee meeting of the U.S. National Oral Health Alliance (U.S. NOHA) June 5-8 in San Francisco. U.S. NOHA provides the platform for a diverse network of stakeholders to forge common ground in order to harness opportunities and create viable solutions for improved oral health through prevention and treatment for vulnerable populations across our country.
HHS/FFE
On June 19, members of the NADP Board and Health Care Reform Task Force met with staff of the Federally Facilitated Exchange (FFE) of Health and Human Services to discuss appropriate inclusion of dental policies. This will be critical as FFE will likely operate in up to 40 states not ready to operate their own Exchanges by 2014. FFE staff proposed future meetings to continue dental related discussions.
Supreme Court Strategy
In preparation for the decision from the Supreme Court of the United States, members of the NADP Board and Health Care Reform Task Force met in Washington, D.C. to develop strategies for the possible health care reform scenarios arising from the ruling.
NCVHS
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown testified June 20 before the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) in Washington, D.C. regarding the new process for review of the CDT Codes. The testimony included concerns express by the diverse representation of NADP member plans and addressed the unresolved issues the industry has with the new ADA Code Advisory Committee and process.
CDA
Director of Research and Information Jerry Berggren presented a dental benefits industry overview during a June 22 California Dental Association (CDA) workgroup meeting in Sacramento, CA.
NAHU
Director of Research and Information Jerry Berggren and Director of Membership and Communications Rene Chapin attended the National Association of Health Underwriters Annual Convention (NAHU) in Las Vegas June 24-26. Their mission was to learn more about brokers’ education and content needs regarding dental benefits through a series of focus groups and attendance at various conference sessions.
NAIC
Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway continued to provide valuable industry insight during multiple National Association of Insurance Commissioner (NAIC) calls and attended the NAIC interim meeting working towards finishing Exchange related white papers.
Media
NewsProNetVideo – NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland explained the differences between the various types of dental plan options for this syndicated television news-advertorial program.
Media Planet USA - Reporter Nathan Tuckman interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland for an oral health supplement regarding available consumer options for dental benefits.
May 2012
Meetings
WEDI National Conference
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefit industry’s unique needs and point of view during the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) National Conference May 1-3 in Tampa, Florida. Tim joined with 350 health care industry professionals to discuss challenges and opportunities of the Affordable Care Act, including recommended best practices for ICD-10 implementation.
Washington, D.C.
To advocate for the dental benefits industry’s positions on health care reform, NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway met with National Association of Insurance Commissioner (NAIC) staff on May 10. In addition, she attended a Public Affairs Roundtable discussion on trade association Political Action Committees, and met with Washington, DC offices of NADP members.
AADC Annual Workshop
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown traveled to Orlando, Florida where he represented NADP members at the American Association of Dental Consultants Annual Workshop May 16-20 in Orlando, Florida.
GUAA Annual Conference
At the Group Underwriters Association of America Annual Conference, NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland presented “Health Care Reform Update: Impact on Dental On Plans” during a May 22 workshop.
Media
Smart Money - NADP provided background information regarding annual maximums and benefit basics.
NADP Dental Intelligence - The May in the broker article series, “The Dental Benefits Industry Keep Our Coverage Campaign” was distributed to the members’ communications contacts and published in the CDHC Solutions website and broker e-newsletter.
Wall Street Journal - NADP provided information regarding the differences between discount and dental insurance plans
April 2012
NADP continues to serve as the voice of the dental benefits industry. In April volunteers and staff carried your message to a multitude of stakeholders and media.
Meetings
White House
Health Care Reform Task Force Chair Jon Seltenheim (United Concordia Companies, Inc.) and NADP Executive Evelyn F. Ireland gained an audience with the White House to explain the needed regulatory fixes with the Affordable Care Act regarding equitable treatment for individuals receiving dental coverage from small group employers outside the Exchange. (See related article).
American Dental Association
The NADP Board of Directors met with leaders of the American Dental Association (ADA) last week in Chicago to discuss ongoing collaboration on areas of mutual interest. Board members attending included: Chair Karen Gustin (Ameritas), Vice Chair Forrest Flint (HealthPartners), Secretary Dr. Doyle Williams (DentaQuest), Jeff Album (Delta Dental of CA, NY, PA and Affiliates), Dr. Fred Sharpe (Avesis), Chris Swanker, FSA (Guardian), and Brian Watts (First Dental Health). NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland also participated.
DentalPlans.Com
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway attended the DentalPlans.com meeting for discount dental plans in Palm Beach, Florida.
Media
Best’s Reveiw Audio Spotlight – Podcast host Lori Chordas interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland about current market trends, connections between oral and overall health and the impact of health care reform on dental benefit for a podcast to be aired in conjunction with an article in the June issue of Best’s Review.
CDHC Solutions – This broker publication published the second article in NADP’s broker series, Close-Up on Voluntary Dental Benefits. The articles are also available for use in member publications via the NADP website.
March 2012
NADP represented the dental benefits industry this past month to key constituents through a series of important meetings and media outreach.
Meetings
NAIC Spring Conference
On March 4, NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway traveled to New Orleans, LA for the spring conference of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The conference featured a session on Essential Health Benefits.
U.S. NOHA
NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland was elected to the executive committee of the US National Oral Health Alliance (US NOHA) meeting March 12-14 in Chicago. US NOHA provides the platform for a diverse network of stakeholders to forge common ground in order to harness opportunities and create viable solutions for improved oral health through prevention and treatment for vulnerable populations across our country.
American Dental Association
Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown represented the dental benefits industry at the recent American Dental Association discussion regarding CDT Code modifiers.
Media
A.M. Best – Lori Chordas interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about dental trends and the impact of health care reform on dental benefits.
Bankrate.com – Freelance writer Rob DiGiacomo interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland about tips on what to look for when comparing different dental policies.
Modesto Bee – Reporter Ken Carlson used NADP research as background on his piece about dental benefits since the recession.
Wiki Answers - NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland updated information about the coordination of dental benefits on Wiki Answers.
Febraury 2012
NADP began the year representing the industry to numerous audiences including lawmakers, standards organizations and the media.
Meetings
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway represented NADP members at the California Association of Dental Plans (CADP) Legislative and Regulatory Conference in Sacramento. Conference highlights included presentations about public programs and the California Exchange.
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown heads to Tampa on Jan. 31 for the X12 meeting. Tim is co-chair of the X12 Dental Caucus which meets to develop high quality e-commerce standards for the dental benefits industry in an open consensus environment.
Media
LA Times – Reporter Lisa Zamosky interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland about coverage of dental implants by insurance and discount plans.
Chicago Dental Society - NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland provided data-rich background information and insightful comments of interest to providers.
Maine Public Radio - NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland commented on industry practices regarding the frequency of fluoride treatments paid for by dental plans in an interview with Josie Juang.
January 2012
NADP began the year representing the industry to numerous audiences including lawmakers, standards organizations and the media.
Meetings
NADP Director of Government Relations Kris Hathaway represented NADP members at the California Association of Dental Plans (CADP) Legislative and Regulatory Conference in Sacramento. Conference highlights included presentations about public programs and the California Exchange.
NADP Deputy Executive Director Timothy L. Brown heads to Tampa on Jan. 31 for the X12 meeting. Tim is co-chair of the X12 Dental Caucus which meets to develop high quality e-commerce standards for the dental benefits industry in an open consensus environment.
Media
LA Times – Reporter Lisa Zamosky interviewed NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland about coverage of dental implants by insurance and discount plans.
Chicago Dental Society - NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland provided data-rich background information and insightful comments of interest to providers.
Maine Public Radio - NADP Executive Director Evelyn Ireland commented on industry practices regarding the frequency of fluoride treatments paid for by dental plans in an interview with Josie Juang.
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