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Articles
Delta Dental Launches New Brand Initiative
2005 Benefits Managers Survey Underway
New COB Policy Becomes Effective January
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Staff Spotlight: Allan Berkin
Captain Supertooth Video Now in Spanish
Time to Verify Student Eligibility
Students, Dentists, Benefit from Recent Foundation
Grants
Delta Dental, Dr. Sydell Receive Awards at
NJDA Convention
Golf Outing Winners Announced
Employees Contribute Time, Money to Help
Katrina Victims
Dental Director Writes Article on Childhood
Tooth Decay in School Nurse News
Delta Dental's Convention Schedule
Before today, everyone
knew us as Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey. Now,
we’re Delta Dental of New
Jersey.
The new name is part of our comprehensive branding
strategy that is being rolled out. All printed materials
will conform to the new product names and brand identity
by January 1.
Over the past year, we participated in a nationwide
initiative by the Delta Dental Plans Association
to develop a strong Delta Dental brand. The effort
involved more than making changes to our visual identity.
We developed strategies to connect with all of our
stakeholders, and communicate who we are and what
we do. Our brand ensures we are clearly differentiated,
and builds long-term credibility, awareness and recognition
so that customers choose us.
We will be introducing a new logo and new corporate
colors, such as “rejuvenating green” and “healthy
pink.” We are also refreshing our typeface,
images and other elements to build a more distinctive
brand.
Product names are also changing to emphasize the
Delta Dental identity. The new product names are:
- Delta Dental Premier (formerly DeltaPremier),
our fee-for service program.
- Advantage Program (formerly
Delta’s
Advantage Program), which is available only in
New Jersey, and offers access to cost-efficient
dental care provided by a large network of participating
dentists on a fee-for-service basis, while allowing
freedom of choice in dentist selection and lower
dental plan costs.
- Delta Dental PPO (formerly DeltaPreferred
Option), in which participating dentists accept
the Delta Dental PPO schedule of fees as payment
in full, offering guaranteed co-payments to eligible
patients using network dentists. Subscribers may
also select a Delta Dental Premier dentist who
is not a Delta Dental PPO dentist.
- DeltaCare (name remains the same), which
is our capitated dental health maintenance organization
(dental HMO-type program) administered by our subsidiary,
Flagship Dental Plans.
Also, we will no longer
use the term “DeltaUSA” or “USA” after
any product name. Instead of “DeltaUSA” or “Delta
Premier USA,” we will use “Delta Dental” with
the applicable product name, such as “Delta
Dental Premier.” The one exception to this
is DeltaCare.
Watch for more information on our brand in future
issues of Broker News and Consultant
News.
2005
Benefits Managers Survey Underway
We mailed our 2005 Delta Dental Benefits Managers
Survey to benefits managers with their October bill.
Please encourage your clients to complete the survey
as soon as possible. Their feedback is very important
to us. It will be used to measure our performance
and determine how to continue to exceed expectations.
The survey takes about five minutes to complete.
If you or your clients have questions about the survey
or need another copy, please contact Laurel English
of English Communications, at (973) 984-2525; laurel@english-communications.com.
Benefits managers may also complete the survey online
at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=239711265945.
New
COB Policy Becomes Effective January 1
Starting January 1, claims
for most oral surgery procedures, along with general
anesthesia, must be submitted to the subscriber’s
primary medical plan before being submitted
to Delta Dental.
Many Delta Dental subscribers also have group medical
coverage, which usually covers complex oral surgery
procedures and general anesthesia. When procedures
are covered under both medical and dental plans,
the medical plan is generally considered primary.
In order to ensure that Delta Dental pays the correct
amount for oral surgery procedures, a medical Explanation
of Benefits (EOB) will be required for such services
(unless it has been determined that Delta Dental
is primary) as of January 1, even if the claim submission
states that there is no other coverage or fails to
address it.
In addition, many medical insurers will also pay
for services such as exams and x-rays when done in
conjunction with these oral surgery procedures.
There are some groups whose contract provides that
Delta Dental act as the primary payer over medical
for selected oral surgery procedures. In those cases,
we will continue to make payment as the primary carrier.
Not “double coverage”
Subscribers should recognize that having coverage
for a procedure under two programs, medical and dental,
does not “double” their coverage. However,
it may mean that they will have lower out-of-pocket
costs.
The total payments of both the primary and secondary
carrier cannot exceed the total approved amount of
the primary carrier. For example, suppose the primary
carrier’s amount for an oral surgery procedure
is $400, payable at 80%. Delta Dental as secondary
would pay no more than the $80 balance.
Staff
Spotlight: Allan Berkin
Allan Berkin has been
working and living in New Jersey his entire life.
Born in Fairlawn, NJ, he graduated from Rutgers
(the state university of New Jersey) and today
lives in Rockaway, NJ. He has also been an important
member of the Delta Dental of New Jersey marketing
team for the past 10 years.
He joined Delta Dental in 1995 as an Account Executive.
He later served as Manager of Broker/Consultant Relations
and National Accounts Manager. In September, Allan
assumed the newly created position of Manager, New
Business Development, where he is responsible for
developing new business in New Jersey both on a direct
basis and through brokers and consultants.
Allan, like others in Marketing, views brokers as
Delta Dental’s partners. “We’ve
established relationships with brokers that are built
on trust,” he says. “Many people in our
Marketing Department have been here 10 years or more.
That kind of longevity is unusual in this line of
business. We understand what kind of support our
brokers need from us in order to help their clients
meet both their current and future needs.”
Allan makes sure brokers understand the advantages
of Delta Dental’s benefits programs so they
can communicate the benefits to their clients. “Delta
Dental has the largest network of participating dentists
of all group dental providers, which gives members
the greatest choice of dentists.”
Allan says brokers and clients are better served
because Delta Dental focuses exclusively on group
dental benefits. “That’s our sole focus.
Every time you talk to someone from Delta Dental,
you talk to someone who is a dental benefits expert.”
In addition, Delta Dental offers a flexible plan
design, which helps clients find a solution that
balances employee benefits needs and cost. “We
can give employers just about anything they need,” he
says. “We are also priced very competitively.”
Allan adds, “We make it very simple for groups
to switch from other providers to Delta Dental. And
once a group switches to Delta Dental, they almost
always stay with us. We are able to renew 97% of
our business every year.”
Captain
Supertooth Video Now in Spanish
The caped superhero of oral health, Captain Supertooth,
now delivers his message on videotape, in Spanish
in addition to English.
The video is being sent to schools throughout New
Jersey and Connecticut that request copies.
Delta Dental’s Captain Supertooth visits schools
throughout New Jersey and Connecticut as a service
during Children’s Dental Health Month each
February. The 20-minute program is geared for students
from kindergarten through second grade. Since the
program began in 1990, Captain Supertooth has instructed
more than 30,000 students about proper dental care.
The video is expected to reach thousands more students.
Captain Supertooth is one of many programs offered
by the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation. The
Foundation supports dental education programs for
children and adults, dental research projects, community
clinics and facilities that help underserved populations
gain access to dental care, and facilities that provide
dental treatment to physically and developmentally
disabled children and adults.
Time
to Verify Student Eligibility
With school back in session,
it’s time for
members to complete Delta Dental's Student Documentation
Verification Form for their dependents who are college-age
students.
Delta Dental requires proof of student status for
college-age dependents when they submit their first
claim of the school year. The Student Documentation
Verification Form makes it easy to quickly confirm
student status without having to submit any other
paperwork.
Students may submit either the Student Documentation
Verification Form, or some other proof of their student
status. These may include a copy of a paid tuition
statement, a registrar's certificate of grades showing
at least 12 credits, or a current validated student
ID card.
A copy of the Student Documentation Verification
Form may be downloaded from our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com.
Click on Forms on the navigation bar on the left
side of the screen.
Students,
Dentists, Benefit from Recently Foundation Grants
- Catto Elementary School in Camden, New Jersey,
celebrated a day of oral health education.
- The Newark, New Jersey, Public Schools will begin
training high school students for dental careers.
- Six students at Bergen Community College and
six at Middlesex County College in New Jersey received
scholarships to continue their education in dental
hygiene.
These were all made possible by recent grants from
the Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation.
The grant to Catto Elementary
School enabled the school to purchase supplies
and educational materials for its “Let’s Learn about Dental Health” program
for students and their families. Health education
is an important component of the school’s community
outreach program. The program provides basic tools
and information for families in this underserved
community so they can take care of their oral health.
The Newark Public Schools
will use the Foundation grant to buy equipment
and supplies for its new Allied Health Science
Academy. The Academy is an innovative education
program. Situated in one of Newark’s
high schools, the Academy will prepare high school
students for careers in dental assisting, dental
technology, and dental hygiene.
The Foundation funds education
for current and future oral-health practitioners.
Besides its community college scholarships, the
Foundation recently contributed to the Bloomfield
(New Jersey) Health Careers Foundation. This provides
scholarships to high school students pursuing careers
in dental assisting and dental hygiene. The Foundation
also funds the Allied Dental Education Scholarship
Program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry
of New Jersey (UMDNJ), as well as continuing education
programs for dentists through UMDNJ.
The Foundation also provides financial support
for programs that help underserved populations
gain access to dental care. It recently awarded
a grant to fund a school-based dental clinic at
the K. Brennan School in New Haven, Connecticut.
The dental clinic has a dentist and several dental
hygienists on staff. This school’s clinic
provides dental care for children in this underserved
area who would otherwise go without it.
The Foundation supports programs and facilities that
provide dental treatment to physically and developmentally
disabled children and adults. Its grant to the Arc
of Greater Enfield, Connecticut, is being used to
revamp the oral hygiene curriculum at Camp Shriver.
Camp Shriver is a camp for 80 campers who are developmentally
disabled or have other related disabilities. The
oral hygiene curriculum teaches campers how to properly
care for their teeth.
Delta
Dental, Dr. Sydell Receive Awards at NJDA Convention
Delta Dental of New Jersey and our Chairman of the
Board, Dr. Gerald A. Sydell, were honored at the
New Jersey Dental Association Convention in June.
Delta Dental received a plaque from the New Jersey
Foundation of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities.
The award recognized Delta Dental’s “contribution
to improve access to care for citizens who are disabled
or elderly.” The New Jersey Foundation of Dentistry
for Persons with Disabilities provides dental care
for elderly and mentally and physically disabled
people of all ages with disorders such as multiple
sclerosis. Delta Dental is a longtime supporter of
this and other organizations that help people with
disabilities access dental care.
Dr. Sydell received the NJDA’s Presidential
Award for Community Service. The award was presented “in
grateful recognition for his dedication to community
service and to the dental profession.” Dr.
Sydell is a past president of the Union County Dental
Society. He served as trustee of the NJDA as well
as a delegate to the American Dental Association.
In addition, Dr. Sydell served as a member of the
New Jersey Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board.
He received the Union County Dental Society's President's
Award and the NJDA Service Award. In 2001 he was
recognized by the UMDNJ New Jersey Dental College
for outstanding contributions to the college and
dentistry. He has been elected to Fellowship in the
American College of Dentists and the International
College of Dentists. Dr. Sydell currently serves
on the Board of Trustees of Matheny Medical and Educational
Center. He is a trustee of the New Jersey Foundation
of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities and a
member of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School Feasibility
Study Committee.
Golf Outing Winners Announced
The Fifteenth Annual Delta
Dental Classic, which raises funds for Special
Olympics New Jersey (SONJ), took place in June
at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club.
Contest winners include:
1st Place Low Gross (Women): Margie Petrone
1st Place Low Gross (Men): Jim Schulz
1st Place Gross Team: Dave Lance Jr., Ed
Gunther, Robert Toth, Gary Mini
Over the past 15 years the Delta Dental Classic has
raised more than a half million dollars for SONJ.
SONJ is dedicated to empowering individuals with
mental disabilities to become physically fit, productive,
and respected members of society through sports training
and competition.
Special thanks to all of our participants and sponsors.
Employees Contribute Time,
Money to Help Katrina Victims
Delta Dental and our employees
united to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The company matched 100% of employee donations
to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief
efforts. Employee and company donations to the
Red Cross’ hurricane relief
efforts totaled more than $12,000.
The company also sent company golf shirts to survivors.
Delta Dental Plans nationwide are also working with
dentists from Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi
who lost their patient records.
Customer Service Agent Cindy Beahm took three weeks
off from work to volunteer with the Red Cross. Many
employees supported Beahm, who did not have any vacation
time left for the year, by donating their unused
vacation time to her. Beahm worked in a warehouse
in Alabama unloading and organizing donated goods
and delivered goods to a church in Mississippi.
Delta Dental also coordinated a drive to collect
household items for people in Biloxi, Mississippi,
many of whom lost everything in Hurricane Katrina.
Employees donated 35 boxes of needed goods, including
clothes, candles and matches. The sister of a Delta
Dental employee lives in Biloxi.
“Seeing the destruction caused by Hurricane
Katrina sparked an uprising of human compassion at
every level of our organization,” said Walt
VanBrunt, president and CEO. “I am proud to
be a part of this company and work with such compassionate
people.”
Dental Director Writes Article
on Childhood Tooth Decay in School Nurse News
Hidden sugar in many popular
foods contributes to tooth decay in children, writes
Dr. Scott Navarro, Delta Dental’s dental
director, in the September 2005 issue of School Nurse News.
“Processed sugars should only be a very small
part of a child’s diet,” he writes. “Children
will develop taste preferences that they take with
them through life. Promoting a low-sugar diet at
an early age will help to teach children healthful
eating habits, as well as give them an extra advantage
in fighting dental caries.”
Dr. Navarro notes that tooth decay is the most common
chronic childhood disease. By age 17, more than 80%
of children have been affected by it.
School Nurse News is an independent publication
developed specifically to meet the needs of school
nurses and other healthcare professionals serving
children and adolescents in the school setting.
Delta Dental's Convention
Schedule
Please join us at any of the following events and
conventions:
New Jersey Teachers Convention
November 10-11, 2005
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey State League of Municipalities
November 15-17, 2005
Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, New Jersey
If you’re attending any of these events, we
look forward to meeting you there!
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