Bytes

MonthlyByte     July 2015   Member Survey Results Announced Thank you to all the individuals who participated in the 2015 NADP Member Survey. A common theme emerged from the…

The National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) Committee on Health and Long-Term Care met twice during the NCOIL Annual Meeting last week to discuss four proposed Model Laws on network adequacy, provider directories, telemedicine reimbursement and telemedicine licensure.

To enhance representation of the dental benefits industry, the NADP Board of Directors approved creation of the Standards and Transaction Initiative (STI) in the fourth quarter of 2014. STI includes four WorkGroups: Codes, Clinical, EDI and Operations. Together, these groups strengthen your voice as they provide united industry perspective, leadership and direction on critical dental issues affecting the growth and advancement of the industry.

In less than two weeks, dental benefits professionals will gather in San Antonio, Texas for CONVERGE 2016, the premier professional development event for the dental benefits industry. One of my favorite aspects of CONVERGE are the volunteer group meetings that take place on Monday. I am really looking forward to dropping in on as many their meetings as possible. Seeing our volunteers in action is quite impressive, and the work of the volunteer groups showcase the value of NADP membership.

The following is a closer look at the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed rule on “Expatriate Health Plans, Expatriate Health Plan Issuers, and Qualified Expatriates; Excepted Benefits; Lifetime and Annual Limits; and ShortTerm, Limited-Duration Insurance.”

In this rapidly changing healthcare environment, NADP is closely monitoring federal bills and regulations impacting our members in addition to state issues. Recently published guidelines by government agencies will affect both dental benefit utilization and providers. In addition, the enactment of three coronavirus bills will have both direct and indirect implications for the dental benefits industry.

On May 20, NADP sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leadership advocating for an increase to the Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), with a specific increase for dental benefits, in the next COVID-19 relief package

Under the strong leadership of Richard Jones, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, the NADP Government Relations WorkGroup (GRW) has effectively responded to a multitude of state issues such as network leasing, non-covered services, and dental loss ratios, just to name a few.

As GRW chair since 2016, Richard has guided the workgroup’s analysis of the issues and steered them toward consensus positions in their responses, all the while advancing the concerns of the dental benefits industry. In addition, his keen insight and information have assisted the Commission on Advocacy Policy in strategy development.

The House passed the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 1418) by voice vote on Sept. 21. Similar legislation passed the House in prior years but was never considered in the Senate.

Whether distributed during Capitol Hill visits or used as a foundation for company presentations or CONVERGE sessions, NADP research reports add credibility and strength to any industry discussion.