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Articles
98% of Benefits Managers Would
Recommend Us, Says Survey
Members Satisfied with Delta Dental
Claims, Customer Service Quality Remain
High in 2006
2006 Cost Containment Report Released
Web Site Redesigned for Brand
Online Consultant News Keeps You
Up-to-Date More Often
How Brokers Can Help Clients Help Their
Employees Achieve Better Oral Health
Grants Offered to NJ Abbott Schools for Oral
Health Education
P.A.N.D.A. Program Helps Dentists,
Others Fight Child Abuse
Staff Spotlight: Barbara Strano
Seventeenth Annual Delta Dental Classic
Almost Here!
Every year we ask benefits
managers to rate our performance. We want to know if
we’re living up to your expectations. One of the most
important questions on our Benefits Manager
Satisfaction Survey is, “Would you recommend Delta
Dental to other benefit administrators?” In 2006, 98%
of benefits managers said yes.
We received high ratings in other key areas, as well.
Here’s how you rated us in 2006:
Percentage that rated Delta
Dental's performance "excellent," "very good," or
"average" in the following key areas:
-
Speed of claims processing -
99%
-
Accuracy of claims processing -
99%
-
Ease of program administration
- 98%
-
Accuracy of eligibility
submissions processing - 99%
-
Speed of eligibility
submissions processing - 99%
-
Ability to customize plan
design to your needs - 98%
-
Eligibility submissions process
overall - 97%
-
Ability to locate a
participating dentist - 99%
-
Access to information - 97%
-
Accuracy of information - 99%
-
Overall value of the program -
98%
-
Price - 96%
Additional findings:
-
More than 9 out of 10 benefits
managers are satisfied with their communications with
Delta Dental.
-
Nearly three out of four
benefits managers spend less than one hour per week
administering the Delta Dental benefits program. More
than 98% said the amount of time spent administering
benefits is about right or less than expected.
English Communications, an
independent research firm in Morristown, New Jersey,
conducted the survey. Questionnaires were mailed to a
random group of benefits managers each quarter.
Benefits managers registered for online eligibility
submission also received an electronic version of the
survey.
Members
Satisfied with Delta Dental
’More than 9 in 10 members are
satisfied with Delta Dental, according to our 2006
Member Satisfaction Survey.
Here’s how members rated our
performance in 2006:
Percentage that rated Delta
Dental's performance "very satisfied," "satisfied," or
"neutral" in the following key areas:
-
Delta Dental overall - 93%
-
Overall value for price paid -
87%
-
Customer Service - 94%
-
Access to dental care - 93%
-
Quality of dental care - 95%
Members are also highly
satisfied with the care they receive from their
participating Delta Dental dentist. 95% would return
to their participating Delta Dental dentist, and 92%
would recommend their Delta Dental dentist.
Brownstone Information Resources, an independent
market research firm in Morristown, New Jersey,
conducted the survey.
Claims,
Customer Service Quality Remain High in 2006
Delta Dental maintained
excellent service levels in 2006, according to our
2006 Operations and Customer Service Reports. Here is
a snapshot of some of our 2006 statistics.
Total number of claims received
2.9 million
Number of electronic claims received
1.5 million (52% of all claims)
Average claims turnaround time
7.2 business days
99.82% processed within 30 business days
Accuracy rates
Key accuracy measures (clerical accuracy, payment
accuracy and dollar accuracy): 99.4% or higher.
2006 Cost
Containment Report Released
Groups saved $196.8 million in
2006 as part of our cost containment programs. We also
paid a record $448.2 million in claims.
Those are some of the findings from our 2006 Cost
Containment Report.
The report shows how we help groups manage their
benefits costs. It identifies eight areas of cost
containment savings: in-network savings, non-billable
services, contractual limitations, eligibility
verification, non-covered services, dentist consultant
review, optional services and COB savings.
To view the entire 2006 Cost Containment Report, visit
our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com; click “Brokers”
and “Cost Containment Report” under the “Reports and
Surveys” heading.
Web Site
Redesigned for Brand
Our Web site now has a new look
to match our branding. Its improved home page
descriptions make it a snap to find what you need.
Check us out at www.deltadentalnj.com. Use the
navigation bar on the left to find the Web features
right for you!
Online
Consultant News Keeps You Up-to-Date More Often
Are you signed up for our free
e-mail newsletter for brokers and consultants?
Consultant News is published four times a year. It
features information about dental benefits trends,
Dental Dental’s products and services, upcoming
legislation that may affect you, and more.
Recent Consultant News articles include:
-
How our dental networks grew in
2006
-
Why dental benefits offer good
opportunities for brokers
-
Why the small-group market is
big news for us
-
How legislation promoting
electronic medical records may affect patient care and
health care costs
To subscribe to our free e-mail
Consultant News, visit our Web site at
www.deltadentalnj.com. Click “Brokers” and
“Newsletter.” Enter your e-mail address in the
subscription box and click “Submit.”
Past issues of Broker News and Consultant
News are also available online.
You may unsubscribe to Consultant News at any
time. Please note that Delta Dental does not sell,
rent, or disclose e-mail addresses to third parties.
Therefore, you will not receive unsolicited e-mail
("spam") as a result of subscribing to Consultant
News.
How Brokers
Can Help Clients Help Their Employees Achieve Better
Oral Health
How can you help employers
motivate their employees to maintain good oral health?
First, make sure they offer dental benefits. According
to the National Center for Health Statistics, people
with dental insurance visit the dentist almost twice
as often as people without coverage. A national poll
conducted by Research!America found that an
overwhelming 85% of Americans indicated their oral
health was very important to their overall health. The
same poll found that lack of insurance is the primary
reason people hadn’t visited the dentist in the past
12 months.
Second, encourage clients to offer dental benefits
that cover preventive services with minimal or no
out-of-pocket costs to employees. Regular, ongoing
preventive care significantly reduces the possibility
of dental emergencies for employees and their
families. According to a report published in Public
Health Reports, every dollar spent on prevention
saves $4 in future treatment and restoration costs,
making an investment in prevention a financially sound
decision.
Employee education is another important part of the
equation. Providing access to information on oral
health issues such as choosing a dentist or
understanding the connections between oral health and
overall health can help employees make smart dental
choices.
Grants
Offered to NJ Abbott Schools for Oral Health Education
Our Foundation is offering its
first Oral Health Education Initiative Grants to
elementary schools in New Jersey Abbott school
districts. The grants will be used by schools to start
an oral health education program in their third-grade
classes for the 2007-2008 school year.
Three schools, each from a separate district, will be
chosen to receive a grant of up to $5,000 to fund the
programs.
To apply, each school must develop an oral health
education program that includes 10 monthly activities.
The program should help children understand:
-
Why it is important to maintain
proper daily oral hygiene
-
How to brush and floss properly
-
The function of the dentist and
hygienist
-
The relationship between oral
health and food choices
-
The relationship between oral
health and overall health
The programs can include
monthly activities such as an oral health bulletin
board, a field trip to a dentist's office, or reading
a book about oral health.
"With dental decay one of the most common chronic
infectious diseases among U.S. children, according to
the CDC, it is unfortunate that New Jersey's
educational curriculum does not include specific
dental education guidelines past the second grade
level," says Foundation Vice President Diane Belle.
"Through Delta Dental's grant initiative, we hope to
bring attention to the importance of comprehensive
oral health education, and work with educators to
instill good oral health habits early that children
can take with them into adulthood."
According to the American Dental Association, tooth
decay is increasingly a disease of children from
low-and modest-income households. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that
almost 50% of childhood tooth decay cases remain
untreated. Untreated tooth decay can cause a child
pain, dysfunction, to be underweight, or to have a
poor appearance. It can greatly reduce a child's
capacity to succeed in school and in other aspects of
life.
The good news is that through proper oral hygiene and
nutrition, childhood tooth decay can be prevented.
The new school nutrition law requires most New Jersey
schools to ban soda and junk foods, and teach better
eating habits starting September 1. These new
nutrition guidelines will not only aid in the fight
against childhood obesity, but will also benefit
children's oral health.
"Delta Dental welcomes the opportunity to further
educate children, especially those who are
underserved, about the importance of maintaining oral
health and its close relationship to overall health
and well being," says Belle.
The Delta Dental Oral Health Education Initiative
Grant is open to all New Jersey Abbott elementary
schools that include third grade. Delta Dental will
accept applications until June 16, 2007. Grant
recipients will be notified before July 31, 2007. For
more information, contact Kimberly Elmore at (973)
944-4555.
P.A.N.D.A.
Program Helps Dentists, Others Fight Child Abuse
-
Every year there are 3
million reports of child abuse in the United States.
Experts believe the actual instances of abuse are
three times that number.
-
Child abuse occurs at every
socio-economic level, across ethnic and cultural
lines, within all religions and all levels of
education.
The signs of abuse aren't
always obvious. That's why the Delta Dental Foundation
offers its P.A.N.D.A. (Prevent Abuse and Neglect
through Dental Awareness) educational program to those
who are in regular contact with children.
“P.A.N.D.A. provides dentists with detailed training
on the physical and behavioral indicators of child
abuse and neglect,” says Lawrence A. Dobrin, D.M.D., a
dentist with forensic training and experience who
practices in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Dr. Dobrin is a
spokesperson for the P.A.N.D.A. Coalition. “P.A.N.D.A.
also provides resources to guide them through
procedures for reporting suspected abuse, and offers
referral resources for families to help prevent abuse
and neglect.”
P.A.N.D.A. was originally created for dentists, who
are well positioned to detect child abuse. Two out of
every three injuries occur to the head, face, and neck
areas, which are readily visible during a dental exam.
In recent years, the P.A.N.D.A. program expanded to
include medical professionals, teachers, school
nurses, youth group leaders, and other community group
leaders who can assist in the fight to combat
devastating patterns of abusive behavior.
P.A.N.D.A. presentations provide detailed information
on physical and behavioral indicators of child abuse
and neglect. They also teach how to report, whom to
contact, and how to deal with the sensitive issues
involved in filing a report of suspected abuse.
Each P.A.N.D.A. presentation is a one- to three-hour
slide program and workshop conducted by trained
professionals. The presentation is approved for up to
three continuing dental education credits, depending
on the length of the session. The P.A.N.D.A. Coalition
has members who are willing to present the program
free of charge to dental or other interested groups
with 10 or more members. For more information or to
schedule a presentation in New Jersey, please call
Delta Dental at (973) 944-4555. In Connecticut call
the Connecticut State Dental Association at (860)
378-1800.
For information about other programs to prevent child
abuse, visit the Child Welfare Information Gateway at
www.childwelfare.gov.
Sidebar: What Should You Do if You Suspect Abuse?
Dentists and other health care providers who suspect a
child is being abused by law must report it. In New
Jersey, you are immune from any criminal or civil
liability as a result of filing the report if you have
reason to believe that a child has been abused and
immediately report it. Anyone who knowingly fails to
report suspected abuse or neglect is subject to a fine
up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
To report a suspected case of abuse or neglect:
In New Jersey:
-
Contact your local Division of
Youth and Family Services (DYFS) office between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m.; or
-
Contact the Child Abuse
Hotline, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, at (877) NJ-ABUSE (652-2873). (TTY/TDD for the
deaf is available at 800-835-5510).
In Connecticut:
-
Contact the Child Abuse and
Neglect Hotline, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, at (800) 842-2288.
Staff
Spotlight: Barbara Strano
Barbara Strano joined Delta
Dental in 1995 as an account executive. She recently
was named to the new position of Account Executive,
Specialty Products. Broker News recently asked
Barbara about her new position, how it benefits
brokers, and why she chose Delta Dental for her
career.
What do you do as the account executive for
specialty products?
“Delta Dental created this position for several
reasons: to show our commitment to the small group
market, launch our new voluntary product, launch our
new Delta Dental Patient Direct product, and gain
market share for our Flagship DHMO product. The small
group market is especially important, and we wanted to
give it the attention it deserves. The fact that we
now have a new voluntary product is tremendous in the
dental insurance marketplace. For years brokers have
been requesting that we develop a voluntary product
that has a national reach and offers some
reimbursement out of network. Now we have the ability
to offer voluntary benefits using our PPO network.
Although this product is only offered to prospects
headquartered in New Jersey, the network providers are
national.”
How do you serve brokers with small groups?
“I provide brokers with a ‘one-stop shop’ in terms of
small group business. I’m responsible for every broker
selling 10 to 99 lives. I help not only with selling,
but with servicing and renewing, too. I’m the one
person they deal with. The advantage for brokers is
that I’m tuned in to the small group marketplace. I’m
the point of contact for brokers the entire time those
small group accounts are on Delta Dental’s books.”
How are you marketing specialty products?
“We’re developing the strategy now. It’s an exciting
challenge, because these areas are untapped. For
example, we’re looking at ways to reach retired
people, since they are a group that could benefit from
Delta Dental Patient Direct. It’s an ongoing process,
and we’re working hard to grow these products.”
Why did you choose insurance sales as your career?
“I was a communications major in college and planned
to go into pharmaceutical sales. It was something my
mother ingrained in my head--that women could do well
in that field. Because I didn’t have a science degree,
the pharmaceutical companies wanted me to get medical
insurance sales experience before they’d hire me. I
did that for a while. Then lo and behold, I got into
pharmaceutical sales--and hated it! I decided I liked
selling medical insurance better, and went back to
it.”
What brought you to Delta Dental?
“I was selling medical insurance and doing a lot of
employee presentations. The feedback I kept getting
was, ‘Okay, we’ll go with your company for medical,
but don’t touch our Delta Dental!’ After hearing that
for a year, I thought, ‘This company must be good.’ I
applied, and eventually was hired.”
Anything more to add?
“We are totally committed to small groups. We develop
a plan together for small group needs. That’s what
distinguishes us from the competition.”
Seventeenth
Annual Delta Dental Classic Almost Here!
Spring is here, which means
it’s only a short time until tee time at the
Seventeenth Annual Delta Dental Classic. The golf
event benefits Special Olympics New Jersey.
It takes place on June 20 at Fiddler's Elbow Country
Club in Bedminster, New Jersey—one of the finest golf
courses in New Jersey. It also allows you to network
with other important players in the dental service
industry and most notably, to help a truly worthy
cause. The Delta Dental Classic has raised more than
$553,000 for Special Olympics New Jersey.
For information, contact Jennifer Appaluccio at
jappaluccio@deltadentalnj.com. Be sure to mark the
date! |
