Chair’s Corner – August 2016

August 2016

By Theresa McConeghey, Principal

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.

Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you the rewards of serving on a volunteer group far outweigh the time and effort spent. A very conservative dollar estimate on the value of volunteers in any organization is $23 an hour, according to the Points of Light organization.

NADP volunteers are responsible for our advocacy victories, enhancements to our research reports, development of our educational programs and collaborative efforts with a multitude of stakeholder organizations. To appreciate fully the value of NADP volunteers, take a closer look at the mission statements of our volunteer groups:

Commission on Advocacy Policy is responsible for 1) developing positions on industry‐related federal and state health care policy proposals, 2) responding to the impacts of federal health care policy proposals as they develop, 3) providing appropriate direction regarding advocacy positions to the Government Relations Workgroup, Exchange Workgroups and NADP lobby resources.

Communications WorkGroup develops, directs and deploys a communications strategy to position NADP as the voice and thought leader of the dental benefits industry.

Education Commission advances NADP’s mission by providing integrated educational forums, programs, and services, which deliver value to stakeholders of the dental benefits industry.

Exchange Policy WorkGroup spearheads member engagement on the development of State Exchanges, including analysis and potential responses to state Exchange issues and related federal issues. It also coordinates with the Exchange Technical Workgroup to focus on technical and operational issues related to dental in Exchanges.

Exchange Technical WorkGroup allows NADP members to discuss dental operational and technical issues specific to state and federal Marketplaces (Exchanges).

FAIR Health WorkGroup serves as a communications channel and resource for FAIR Health staff in the development of products and solutions from dental claims data.

Government Relations WorkGroup influences and improves the legislative and regulatory environment to protect and promote the dental benefits industry and consumer access to affordable quality dental care.

Membership WorkGroup is accountable for increasing and retaining NADP members.

NADPac Committee is a multi-candidate, federal political action committee registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Contributions to federal candidates are overseen by the NADPac Committee, which meets several times a year. The Committee is appointed by the NADP Board to be representative of NADP membership.

Research Commission supports NADP’s mission by gathering data and information to generate and disseminate industry knowledge. Open to plan members only.

Standards and Transaction Initiative (STI) The STI Workgroups provide united industry perspective, leadership and direction on critical dental issues affecting the growth and advancement of the industry.

Codes WorkGroup coordinates concepts and terminology between procedure codes (CDT), diagnosis codes (SNODENT) and EHR reporting (ICD); develops, reviews and comments on proposed changes to procedure, diagnosis and reporting code sets; provides support for NADP voting seats on ADA Code Maintenance Committee (CMC) and International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO) Dental Special Interest Group (Dental SIG).

Clinical WorkGroup reviews and comments on current and proposed dental quality measures; provides support for NADP voting seats on Dental Quality Alliance (DQA) and DQA Executive Committee; review and comment on proposed guidelines and standards for disease management in the dental arena from dental specialty groups and the American Dental Association (ADA); i.e. radiation, sealants, pediatric dentistry, etc.; reviews and comments on current and proposed collaborative efforts to develop quality initiatives within state and federal programs; i.e. CMS, state Medicaid, etc.

EDI WorkGroup reviews and comments on mandated EDI transactions for claims processing, electronic funds transfer and electronic health records; develop, review and comment on changes and updates in mandated EDI transactions on behalf of the dental benefits industry; liaisons with other state and national organizations engaged in the EDI arena; provides support for NADP voting seats on Dental Content Committee (DeCC), Health Level 7 (HL7), Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI), and American National Standards Institute X12 (X12) including leadership positions on WEDI Dental Workgroup and X12 Dental Caucus.

Operations WorkGroup develops, reviews and comments on proposals for dental plan accreditation with accreditation organizations and federal representatives; develops, reviews and comments on proposals for uniform credentialing within dental benefits organizations and outside vendors; serves as liaison to dental service organizations (DSOs) and the Dental Group Practice Association (DGPA) on initiatives of interest to both including credentialing, on-boarding and data sharing.

Serving on a volunteer group will enrich your NADP membership. The annual Call for Volunteers begins at CONVERGE 2016 and will continue through Sept. 30. Watch your email inbox for this message. If you’re thinking about joining a volunteer group, consider observing the open volunteer group meetings at CONVERGE.

I strongly encourage you to volunteer on a group that interests you. The rewards are endless. As your NADP Board Chair, I’m interested in your thoughts about our association and volunteer groups. Should you have any comments or concerns about the NADP, please contact me at theresam@nadp.org.