Articles

Benefits Connection Helps Innovative Endodontics Build Its Practice
2005 Annual Report Published
Delta Dental Sponsors Dental Hygiene Program at Burlington County College; Offers Scholarships
Claim Forms Must State Actual Amount Collected for Services
Deadline Extended for Electronic Attachments Discount
NPI Explained
Ask Your Dental Network Coordinator about Joining Delta Dental Patient Direct
CT Delta Dental Day Draws Record Crowd

Benefits Connection Helps Innovative Endodontics Build Its Practice

Dental News recently asked new Benefits Connection users to tell us about their experiences. Is online Benefits Connection useful? Easy? Worth doing?

Yes on all counts, says Dr. Lawrence Law. Dr. Law shares an endodontic practice with Dr. Martin Marks with locations in Wayne and Ramsey, NJ. Their practice, Innovative Endodontics, started using Benefits Connection in early 2006. 

Here’s what Dr. Law said:

Why did you register for Benefits Connection?
“The name of our practice is Innovative Endodontics, and Benefits Connection is an innovative approach that takes the guesswork out of verifying benefits. It’s a way to check on a patient’s insurance, determine benefit levels and whether a procedure is going to be covered.”

How does Benefits Connection help your practice?
“Our practice specializes in endodontics. Unlike a general dentist, we don’t see many return patients. Patients are here once or twice, and that’s it. We don’t have a lot of time to build patient relationships. We found that explaining the insurance process to patients builds an added level of trust.”

What features do you find helpful?
“We use the procedure code search every day. We can tell instantly the patient’s benefit level. This really helps when we see emergency patients. They want to be taken out of pain. They don’t want to be worried about dental insurance.” 

What is it like to use?
“Navigating around the Web site is very easy. I’ve tried other insurance sites and they are cumbersome. I’m not computer savvy at all, and if I can do it, anybody can do it.”

Do you have any messages for dental practices that don’t yet use Benefits Connection?
“Once you try it you’ll love it. It makes getting a patient’s insurance information very easy. I like my office to function smoothly, and Benefits Connection takes the pain out of insurance. It’s a great benefit. It builds my practice. Anything that builds my practice, I’m all for. If we can take the mystery out of dental insurance, patients really like it.”

Benefits Connection lets dental offices verify patient benefits and eligibility, check claim status and file claims online. Benefits Connection is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at www.deltadentalnj.com. Click "Dentists" and then the "Logon" button in the Benefits Connection Logon box. 

If you've never used Benefits Connection, click "Register Now" in the Benefits Connection Logon box to get started.

2005 Annual Report Published

Delta Dental’s 2005 Annual Report, called “Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things,” highlights many of the community service projects supported by Delta Dental and our employees. It also highlights our business achievements. In 2005 we:

• Retained 95% of our customers.
• Processed a record 2.8 million claims for $418 million.
• Added coverage for brush biopsy, a procedure that can help detect early stages of oral cancer.
• Launched a dental access plan called Delta Dental Patient Direct for New Jersey residents who don’t have access to dental insurance.

To order your free copy of Delta Dental’s 2005 Annual Report, visit our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com. Click “Our Company” on the left navigation bar. Then click “Annual Report.”

Delta Dental Sponsors Dental Hygiene Program at Burlington County College; Offers Scholarships 

With help from a $240,000 grant from the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation, the fifth dental hygiene program in New Jersey is underway at Burlington County College (BCC). The college now offers a two-year program leading to an associate of applied science degree, with a major in dental hygiene. 

Delta Dental’s Foundation also donated $6,000 to provide scholarships to BCC dental hygiene students. 

BCC currently has 20 students enrolled in the dental hygiene program. Another 24 students will enroll in the fall

Claim Forms Must State Actual Amount Collected for Services

Dentists must correctly report to Delta Dental of New Jersey only the actual dollars being collected for the services reported on their claims. 

Delta Dental occasionally finds that a patient will barter with a dentist for dental services. Delta Dental does not object to bartering per se. However, only the actual dollars collected by the dentist may be submitted on claims. Dentists may not submit claims that include an estimated value of property or services received in lieu of monetary payment. Claims that include anything other than actual dollars intended to be collected from patients inaccurately reflect the dentist’s fee. 

Submitting claims that include the value of a barter exchange is one of the unacceptable billing practices reviewed during the claim verification process. It can result in overpayments that are recoverable. If a claim form is intentionally submitted with inaccurate fees, it may be considered a fraudulent attempt to gain benefits. 

For more information, please refer to:
The Delta Dental of New Jersey Dentist Handbook for Participating Dentists, Chapter 11, Claim Verifications.

Deadline Extended for Electronic Attachments Discount

National Electronic Attachment (NEA) has extended its offer to give participating dentists a $150 discount when registering for its FastAttach™ system. The normal registration fee is $200.

Participating dentists will receive the discount through July 31.

The FastAttach system enables dental offices to submit electronic attachments to support any electronic or online claim requiring documentation. Documentation may include x-rays, periodontal charts, proof of primary payments, narratives and other attachments. 

The FastAttach system includes software, installation and training. 

NEA’s FastAttach works with all Windows-operated dental software systems. 

For more information and to register, please visit www.nea-fast.com and enter “DDNJ” in the promotion code box. Click “Find My Promotion”; from there you will be able to view the FAQs and scanner recommendations, as well as register directly online. If you have any questions, please call (800) 782-5150, ext. 2 and mention the promotion code “DDNJ.” 

For more information on submitting claims electronically to Delta Dental, visit our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com; click “Dentists” and then “Electronic Claims Submission.” Or, call your dental network coordinator at (888) 396-6641.

When you contact NEA, please identify yourself as a Delta Dental of New Jersey participating dentist. They will lead you through the enrollment process. Please note that NEA will deal directly with you. Delta Dental does not endorse NEA, nor does it guarantee the performance or continued participation of this vendor. This program has been designed to provide savings opportunities to our participating dentists. Delta Dental of New Jersey does not receive any compensation from any vendor under this program.

NPI Explained 

Dentists have less than a year to register for their National Provider Identifier (NPI) number. The NPI is required for any dentist who submits electronic claims or attachments, or uses the Internet to verify patient eligibility or check claim status. It can also provide many benefits for those dentists who do not perform these functions.

Delta Dental developed a free guide to help dentists understand what they need to know about applying for and using the NPI number. To download the guide, please visit our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com; click “Dentists,” and then “The National Provider Identifier: What Dentists Need to Know.”

Ask Your Dental Network Coordinator about Joining Delta Dental Patient Direct

Delta Dental Patient Direct is a new dental membership program for New Jersey residents who don’t have access to dental insurance. It offers members access to a network of licensed New Jersey dentists who agree to provide dental care at fees no higher than the Delta Dental Patient Direct fee schedule.

To find out how you can become part of the Delta Dental Patient Direct network, contact your dental network coordinator at (888) 396-6641. Your dental network coordinator can schedule an office visit or send you an information packet. The Delta Dental Patient Direct network is open to participating dentists in New Jersey.

If you have patients without dental insurance, please let them know about Delta Dental Patient Direct. They can call (877) TOOTH-07 or visit the Delta Dental Patient Direct Web site at www.patientdirectnj.com for more information or to join.

CT Delta Dental Day Draws Record Crowd

Despite a late spring snow storm, more than 100 people, including both dentists and office staff, attended Delta Dental Day at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, Connecticut, on April 5.

This was the first time that continuing education credits were offered in Connecticut for Delta Dental Day.

Delta Dental Day is a free half-day educational workshop that covers topics important to dental offices. The April 5 program covered:

• Helpful tips for claims submission
• News about the National Provider Identifier (NPI) number
• How to submit electronic claims
• The Delta Dental appeals process
• Preventing insurance fraud
• Using online Benefits Connection to check patient benefits and file claims

“This was our most successful program yet,” said Bobbi Homeyer, manager, Dental Network Recruitment and Development. “We continue to get positive feedback from participants. They tell us there is value from attending, and this was time well spent.”

We are planning two more Delta Dental Days in New Jersey in September. Details will be posted on our Web site when they become available. Go to www.deltadentalnj.com; click “Dentists,” and “Schedule of Events.” Participants will receive CE credits.