News
By Board Chair Jeremy Hedrick, Careington International
Advancing the industry and association
The mission of NADP is to promote and advance the dental benefits industry to improve consumer access to affordable, quality dental care. This past month NADP made tremendous strides in fulfillment of its mission and the development of the association.
AIA
First and foremost, NADP members served as the voice of the industry during our annual Congressional fly-in, Advocacy in Action, held virtually April 27-29. Fifty-five NADP volunteers advocated on key issues in 65 meetings with Members of Congress and their staff. Key issues include independent purchase of dental benefits on Healthcare.gov, protecting negotiated discounts that improve consumers’ access to care, and dental in Medicare. In addition, advocates shared the key differences between dental and medical coverage and highlighted carriers’ actions taken during the pandemic. Following are some member comments about the event:
AIA enhances the NADP advocacy program by developing and maintaining relationships with key elected officials and serving as a resource regarding the dental benefits industry. Thank you to all of our members who participated in this important event.
Strategic Plan Development
On April 22, NADP volunteer group chairs and vice chairs, members of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and the NADP Board of Directors participated in a four-hour zoom meeting to provide key insights regarding the development of the Strategic Plan. Prepared with data and information from an updated industry Environmental Scan, attendees participated in various discussions and exercises to identify NADP audiences, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as well as possible scenarios NADP should consider as part of the next Strategic Plan.
Next steps in the strategic planning process include:
- May – review of strategic statement, vision, and values by NADP Board & Steering Committee
- June – review of high-level initiatives and volunteer group mission statements by Steering Committee and volunteer group chairs and vice chairs
- July – finalize draft strategy written by staff and reviewed by Steering Committee
- August – final review of strategy by Board of Directors
- September – present strategy to NADP members at CONVERGE
CONVERGE
In the recent member survey, CONVERGE was once again identified as one of the most highly valued NADP member programs. To offer the rich professional development content and meaningful networking opportunities to as many members as possible, NADP opened CONVERGE registration on April 1, providing both in-person and virtual options. In addition, NADP revised its cancellation policies to provide more flexibility. CONVERGE 2021, the in-person event, will be Sept. 20-23 at the New Orleans Marriott. The virtual event is a week later, beginning Oct. 4. I encourage you to take advantage of this premier professional development event. Register before May 16 for early bird prices.
As you can see, NADP is advancing our industry and association by advocating on our behalf, strategizing for continued success, and continuing core services valued by our members. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding NADP, contact me
