NADP Insights – Feb. 2020

by Board Chair Ron Bolden, Cigna

How your contributions advance our industry

At Leadership
Conference last month, the Membership WorkGroup presented a brief panel
discussion highlighting many member resources. The objective was to
remind members about resources included in membership and introduce
benefits to new NADP volunteers. As I listened to this presentation, I
was impressed by the numerous resources available and their value. This
month I will focus on some valuable resources developed by our
volunteers and members.

NADP volunteer
groups develop tools designed to help our members meet challenges and
ease administrative burdens. Following are some key examples:

• Advocacy Resources
  are grids and spreadsheets that track multiple issues and arrange
  information in easy-to-use formats. NADP develops these resources based
  on members’ needs and adds new resources when necessary. Advocacy
  Resources are located on NADP.org in the Resource section/Members’ Only.
  (Login required). Volunteers serving on the advocacy groups provide
  direction and insight for the current resources, which include:
  • NADP State Laws on Discount Plan Organizations
  • NADP Provider Networks and Accessibility Requirements by State
  • Non-covered Services State Tracking Document
  • NADP Federal Regulations & Guidance Grid
  • NADP ACA State Exchange Grid
  • NADP ACA Essential Health Benefits Grid
  • NADP Government Relations (GR) Grid

• Provider Directory Validation Project features
  a uniform spreadsheet with data elements agreed upon by both plans and
  Dental Support Organizations (DSOs). There are instructions on using the
  spreadsheet and an attestation form. The Operations WorkGroup developed
  this project to ease the administrative burden on plans and DSOs when
  performing directory updates. They encourage NADP members to use the
  spreadsheet and also offer feedback regarding their experience. Find
  complete details in the Resource Section/ Members’ Only of NADP.org. (Login required). 

• WhyDental.org is a public website
  offering dental benefits information for consumers, employers,
  employees and providers. The objectives of the website are to educate
  these audiences about dental benefits and their contributions to oral
  health. The Communications WorkGroup created the website and is
  currently developing additional content and has a plan in place for
  reviews and updates.

In addition to
the above member benefits developed by our volunteer groups, NADP
members-at-large also contribute to resources that add value to your
membership, including:

• Membership Directories come in multiple versions and are useful tools for our members. When
  members respond to the directory update requests, they ensure the
  information in the following directories is current and provide data for
  use in advocacy efforts: 
  • Find A Dental Plan is the searchable directory where consumers search for plans in their state.
  • Dental Plan Profile is
    an excel spreadsheet that includes the states where plans are sold and
    reported enrollment, if approved for publication, by product. Grand
    total reported enrollment (published and non-published) is also used in
    aggregate form for advocacy efforts.
  • State Indexes are offered in Excel and PDF formats and provide a quick list of the plans offering dental benefits in a state by product.
  • Contact directory
    lists individuals’ phone, mailing and email addresses. Only members can
    access this version of the directory, which expands networking
    opportunities.

Research Reports
provide market intelligence on enrollment, premiums, networks and more.
They also offer insights into employer and consumer behaviors and
perceptions regarding dental benefits through the Shared Research
Program. By submitting data for surveys and participating in the Shared
Research Programs, members receive key data to inform their business
decisions and enhance the value of NADP membership. See the “NADP Surveys” page in the Research section of NADP.org for details.

Advocacy in Action (AIA) is
our Congressional Fly-In where members meet face-to-face with elected
officials and their staff. In addition to attendees from a wide variety
of NADP volunteer groups, AIA
participants also include lobbyists from several member plans. Building
on the success of the last few events, AIA has firmly established
recognition of NADP as the authority and resource on the dental benefits
industry. AIA enhances the NADP advocacy program by establishing and
maintaining key relationships on Capitol Hill.

AIA is June
23-24 in Washington, D.C. It is worth the investment. The value you
receive will have long-term results and advance our industry. I
encourage you to send representatives from your company. Registration is now open (Login required).

The above list
is a sample of the many ways we as members work together to provide
value to our industry and members. In each case, it is clear when we
work together, we advance our industry, and we all reap the rewards.
Thank you for being a member.