Articles
Delta Dental Alliance Expands Network
Broker News Online
Need Claim Forms?
VanBrunt Named Vice Chairman of Delta Dental Plans Association
Marketing Contacts Now Online
Staff Spotlight: Tina Sparrow
Product Spotlight: DeltaCare Dental HMO
New Web Feature: Online Directions to Dental Offices
Standard & Poor's Rates Delta Dental 'Very Strong'

Delta Dental Alliance Expands Network

For the past three years Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey has enjoyed a unique marketing relationship with The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York (U.S. Life), member of the American General Financial Group. We are pleased to announce that two Delta Dental products will now be offered in New Jersey through American General Financial Group. DeltaPreferred Option (or NJ TruDent Preferred Dental Plan as it's called by American General) is available to employers with 2-99 employees and DeltaPremier (called the NJ TruDent Premier Dental Plan) is available to employers with 10-99 employees. Patients in the TruDent programs receive full DeltaPremier or DeltaPreferred Option benefits, including access and referrals to each plan's participating dentists. The programs are marketed through American General Assurance Group and U.S. Life, members of the American General Financial Group, and administered by Delta Dental. As with all our dental programs, Delta Dental's Customer Service Department handles all claim and benefit inquiries. "Wider distribution will enable Delta Dental to offer its products to more prospective clients in the 10-99 employee-size market," says Mark Nadeau, Delta Dental's Director of Marketing. "We see this as a way to expand our distribution to this vital market." American General's Dale Brockman, Vice President-Group Sales in New Jersey, says these programs offer brokers generous commissions and eligibility for the group producer bonus program. Interested brokers should contact their general agent or the American General Financial Group, New Jersey Regional Group Sales Office, 3600 Route 66, Mail Stop 1-N, P.O. Box 1580, Neptune, NJ 07754; phone (877) 233-4615; fax (877) 233-4616.

Broker News Online

Have you misplaced your past issues of Broker News? Current and past issues of Broker News, Dental News, and Subscriber News are now available online, at www.deltadentalnj.com. Publications are available in both text and PDF formats.

Need Claim Forms?

Did you know that subscribers can now e-mail us their request to have a supply of claim forms mailed to them? They can also download a copy of the claim form from their computer. To e-mail a request or download forms, visit our website at www.deltadentalnj.com/claimform/main.html.

VanBrunt Named Vice Chairman of Delta Dental Plans Association

Delta Dental President and CEO Walter VanBrunt has been named Vice Chairman of the Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), the nation's largest national network of independent not-for-profit dental service corporations. VanBrunt, who was elected during the association's annual meeting in Colorado Springs last month, will serve a two-year term as the Vice Chairman. VanBrunt was also named to the DDPA Executive Committee during the annual meeting. In his new positions, VanBrunt will assist in the supervision of the DDPA's overall operations. The Delta Dental system covers 35 million Americans and includes the participation of more than two-thirds of the nation's dentists. Named president and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey in 1998, VanBrunt has maintained the company's position as the state's largest dental benefits carrier. Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey provides coverage to more than one million people in New Jersey and Connecticut through a participating network of more than 7,000 dentists. VanBrunt joined Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey in 1993 as senior vice president after more than 25 years in the insurance industry. "There has been marked improvement in our nation's oral health in the past 20 years. This is due in large part to dental plans that educate people on the importance of proper oral care and afford them the opportunity to undergo regular dental exams," said VanBrunt. "Delta Dental has been a leader in providing dental plans during this time and my goal as a board member will be to provide plans that will allow these positive trends to continue."

Marketing Contacts Now Online

Need to reach someone in Delta Dental's Marketing Department? Our website now includes a complete list of Marketing contacts. The Key Contacts page includes contact names and their direct-dial telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, areas of responsibility and biographical information. Visit our website at www.deltadentalnj.com. To access the Key Contacts page directly, go to www.deltadentalnj.com/broker_portfolio/phone.html.

Staff Spotlight: Tina Sparrow

Tina Sparrow joined Delta Dental's Marketing Department March 13 as the account executive responsible for Hunterdon, Warren, Somerset and Mercer counties. Tina brings more than 14 years of managed-health-plan experience to Delta Dental. She previously worked for ConnectiCare, Oxford Health Plans and Kaiser Permanente, all in Connecticut. Making the switch from medical benefits to dental benefits "is a fresh challenge, with different products and services to learn about," she says. "It's all new, and it's exciting." Another challenge facing Tina is learning to navigate New Jersey's road system. She recently relocated to New Jersey from Connecticut with her husband, Greg, and their infant daughter, Rose. Tina spends many days on the road, traveling to introduce herself to brokers throughout New Jersey. "I'm the type of person who can't get out of my cubicle without a map!" she laughs. "The brokers have been great, helping me get to know different areas of the state." Tina pledges to do everything she can so brokers can keep their customers satisfied. "If you're relying on me to do something, I will get it done," she says. "It's my reputation, and I stand by it. I want to help you get business in the door."

Product Spotlight: DeltaCare Dental HMO

Dental benefits consistently rank among the top benefits desired by employees. In fact, 56% of employees without dental benefits indicate that it is the most desired benefit. But how can companies concerned about managing benefit costs also offer a benefit package that will attract and retain employees? One answer is DeltaCare, a dental HMO program administered by Flagship Health Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Inc. DeltaCare provides employees with a comprehensive dental program that features:

• No claim forms.
• No deductibles.
• No dollar limit of dental benefits.
• No restrictions on pre-existing conditions (except work in progress).
• Specialty services, including periodontics, endodontics and oral surgery.

New Web Feature: Online Directions to Dental Offices

Subscribers in search of a participating dentist near them can throw away their maps and instead log onto Delta Dental's website. The website not only helps patients identify participating dentists who practice near their home or workplace, but can now tell them how to get there. The site now offers free instant maps and customized directions to participating dental offices. To check out this service, go to www.deltadentalnj.com/deltasearch/main.html and follow the prompts. Please note that maps and directions are accessible only if you indicate in Step 3 that you want to search the directory to find a convenient dentist. The map and direction option is not available if you indicate you want to look up a particular dentist.

Standard & Poor's Rates Delta Dental 'Very Strong'

Standard & Poor's recently assigned its AA- counterparty credit and financial strength ratings to Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey. The AA- rating means that S&P considers Delta Dental a very strong company. S&P cited Delta Dental's extremely strong capitalization, excellent earnings, good business position and conservative investment policies. The rating indicates that Delta Dental clearly has the financial capacity to meet policyholder obligations. Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey has been designated by S&P as a Security Circle insurer, which means that it voluntarily underwent S&P's most comprehensive analysis and was assigned ratings in one of the top four categories for financial security. In the analysis, S&P noted that Delta Dental is extremely well capitalized, as indicated by an S&P capital adequacy ratio in excess of 400%. It also noted Delta Dental's strong consolidated GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) income, leading market position as a dental benefits carrier in New Jersey and Connecticut, extremely strong liquidity and low business risk. "Our commitment to being a value-plan dental carrier offering high-quality services through an extensive dental provider network has been validated by earning such a high rating from a premier independent organization such as Standard & Poor's," said Delta Dental President and CEO Walter VanBrunt. "It also shows the soundness of our business philosophy and the stability of our company. Our clients know that when they partner with us, they are with an organization that is established and can satisfy their dental benefit requirements."