Chair’s Corner – Dec. 2015

December 2015

by Theresa McConeghey, Principal Financial Group

As 2015 draws to a close, NADP Members can feel a sense of accomplishment for their many contributions advancing our industry and association. This issue of the Monthlybyte eNewsletter focuses on these accomplishments and provides detailed accounts of the work of our volunteers. This eNewsletter also underscores the value of NADP membership and our volunteer leaders who provide the knowledge and direction that is the foundation for our success. I encourage you to read all the articles in this issue as they demonstrate how NADP advance our industry. Following are some departmental highlights from a very productive 2015.

Education

• The 2015 Webinar Series offered affordable, convenient educational opportunities for you and your staff on timely industry topics such as cyber risks, market trends and more.
• Meanwhile CONVERGE 2015 offered professional and networking opportunities designed to advance your company and career, including an informative Discovery Zone exhibit Hall and knowledgeable speakers such as futurist Michael Rogers and CMS Chief Dental Officer Dr. Lynn Mouden. CONVERGE also included break-outs sessions targeting multiple industry facets such as Medicaid expansion, senior markets and rebranding Discount plans as Dental Savings plans.

Research

• To provide you with enhanced market intelligence, the Network Statistics Report provides added information by Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
• NADP kept you informed with the 2015 State of the Dental Benefits Market report, covering trends in enrollment, cost shifting, customer service and sales plus claims processing developments, advances in credentialing and expectations for 2015.
• NADP provided key market intelligence with two succinct publications:

o    The Premium and Benefit Utilization report

o    The Dental Saving/Discount Dental Plan Enrollment by State (2014) chart

• NADP published its much anticipated Enrollment Report, providing you with invaluable market insights, on plan funding, enrollment trends and state statistics for DHMO, DEPO/DINO, DPPO, Dental Indemnity, Dental Savings (Discount) plans and Medicare/Medicaid.
• Rounding out its annual suite of statistical reports, NADP provided valuable benchmarking information with metrics reports on contact centers, claims processing and administrative services.

Industry Collaboration

• We shared the unique needs and perspectives to influential stakeholders governing dental transaction standards. NADP represented you at Health Level 7 and on numerous American Dental Association groups including the Code Maintenance Committee (CMC), the Dental Reference Set Task Force and the Standards Committee on Dental Informatics. The CMC oversees the CDT Codes that affect every dental product and a wide range of business processes such as marketing, provider contracts, fee schedules and claims.
• Through its voting seat on the Dental Quality Alliance (DQA), NADP continued to ensure your voice is heard in the development and implementation of quality measures affecting your business.
• NADP also represented the US dental benefits industry at the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO), which manages and maintains global diagnostic standards for both health and dental care.
• Thanks to our ongoing collaboration with the ADA, NADP members participating in the CDT Licensing Program received the new Codes months ahead of other organizations. They also received a free CDT book and saved money too. The industry as a whole saved more than $220,000 through NADP’s no-cost management of this licensing program.

Advocacy

• NADP started the year off advancing your positions on equitable markets and dental subsidies to key legislators and regulators on the Hill.
• In addition, we addressed Affordable Care Act implementation issues with new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Director Kevin Counihan on multiple occasions.
• To provide enhanced services, we added state regulatory tracking to the state-of-the-art Legislative Online Tracking System (LOTS) to help you monitor the specific rules affecting your business and products.
• Serving as your representative, NADP published a press release and infographic on a high priority issue, Equitable Treatment.
• To address your concerns on Network Adequacy issues, NADP created a volunteer subgroup to address concerns raised in proposed model legislation by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
• NADP scored a major win on your behalf when CMS confirmed stand -alone dental plans offered off the exchange do not have to submit machine readable network files.
• We have been active on a variety of state issues such as network adequacy, filing issues and more. A quick glance at the list of numerous comment letters on the “Government Relations” page of the website indicates the breadth of our representation on behalf of our members.
• NADP continued to represent you to key stakeholders, including NAIC and the National Conference of State Legislators.
• To propel industry representation to the next level, NADP introduced Advocacy in Action, the 2016 advocacy fly-in to Washington, D.C. Advocacy in Action will be held in conjunction with the Leadership Conference.

The above list is just a glimpse of the many contributions NADP has made for our members and industry. Before I close, I want to point out one more – the Big Data Task Force. This group brings together individuals from every sector of our industry to explore the impact of additional knowledge provided by the reporting and collecting of diagnostic code data. This Task Force is an excellent example of how membership and involvement in NADP benefits us all.

As you can see, 2015 has been a very successful year for NADP members. We are looking forward to continued success in 2016 and to working with all our NADP members. Should you have any questions about any of our NADP programs, please contact me at tmcconghey@nadp.org.