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Articles
More Than 99% of Benefits Managers
Recommend Delta Dental, Says Survey
Subscribers Give Delta Dental High Ratings
in Survey
Claims, Customer Service Performance
Quality Remain High in 2005
Staff Spotlight: Kristin Gallagher
2005 Cost Containment Report Released
Defining Quality in Dental Benefits
White, Maloney Receive President's Award
Satisfaction with Dental Benefits Influences Attitudes
Toward Health Coverage
Dental Networks Grew in 2005
Online Eligibility Submissions
Security Reminder
Delta Dental Patient Direct
Network Grows
Sixteenth Annual Delta
Dental Classic Scheduled
We are pleased to report
that Delta Dental continues to receive high overall
ratings from benefits managers. In
the 2005 Benefits Managers' Satisfaction Survey,
more than 99% said they would recommend Delta Dental
to other administrators.
English Communications, an independent communications
research firm in Morristown, New Jersey, conducted
the survey. Surveys were sent to benefits managers
with the monthly bills. Also, a link to an electronic
version of the survey was sent to benefits managers
who are registered for online eligibility submissions.
How benefits managers rated our performance in
2005
Percentage that are satisfied with Delta Dental’s
performance regarding:
- Speed of claims processing—100%
- Accuracy of claims
processing—99%
- Ease of program administration—99%
- Accuracy of eligibility
submissions processing—99%
- Speed of eligibility
submissions processing—99%
- Ability to customize
plan design to your needs—99%
- Eligibility submissions
process overall—98%
- Ability to locate
a participating dentist—98%
- Access to information—98%
- Accuracy of information—98%
- Overall value of the
program—99%
- Employee satisfaction—97%
- Price—96%
Additional findings:
- Benefits managers rated
Delta Dental’s
communications performance highly. More than 9
in 10 are satisfied with our communications overall.
- Most benefits managers
spend less than one hour per week assisting employees
with Delta Dental claims. More than 99% said
they spent about the right amount of time or
less time than expected.
Sidebar: Changes Underway for 2006 Benefits Manager
Survey
Delta Dental is implementing a new benefits manager
survey strategy for 2006. We began conducting quarterly
surveys of benefits managers, starting in March.
More frequent surveys allow us to closely monitor
our performance.
Although we will survey a random sample of benefits
managers each quarter, each benefit manager will
be asked to participate no more than once a year.
Please encourage your clients to participate when
they receive the survey. The survey should take just
five minutes to complete. Their feedback will help
us succeed in our mission to provide
"accessible dental benefit programs of the highest
quality, service, and value" to your clients’ organizations
and their employees.
Subscribers
Give Delta Dental High Ratings in Survey
More than 9 in 10 Delta
Dental subscribers are satisfied overall with their
dental benefits program, according to a recent
survey.
Subscribers reported satisfaction in the following
key areas:
Overall satisfaction with Delta Dental—94%
Quality of care—98%
Access to dental care—91%
Customer Service—92%
Claims processing—93%
Claims,
Customer Service Performance Quality Remain High
in 2005
Delta Dental continued to maintain excellent service
levels in 2005, according to the company's 2005 Operations
and Customer Service Reports. Here is a snapshot
of some of our 2005 statistics.
Total number of claims received
2.82 million
Number of electronic claims received
1.4 million (49% of all claims)
Average claims turnaround time
8.3 business days
99.64% processed within 30 business days
Accuracy rates
Key accuracy measures (clerical accuracy, payment
accuracy and dollar accuracy): 99% or higher
Staff
Spotlight: Kristin Gallagher
Many brokers already know
Kristin Gallagher, Marketing’s
newest account executive. Kristin joined Delta Dental
in November 2001 as service coordinator and small
group sales representative for southern New Jersey.
Kristin assumed the role of account executive in
February 2006 and is responsible for Middlesex, Monmouth,
and Ocean counties.
Kristin previously attended Marymount University
in Arlington, Virginia, where she received an MBA
in August 2001.
Kristin works closely with brokers to develop new
business and retain existing clients. “The
partnership between brokers and account executives
is extremely important,” she says. Kristin
helps brokers develop benefit programs that attract
new clients, and satisfy both clients and subscribers. “Together,
we provide exceptional service to all new and existing
clients.”
Kristin adds, “I’m enthusiastic about
building long-term relationships with brokers and
clients, and look forward to working with brokers
in my new territory.”
2005
Cost Containment Report Released
Delta Dental’s cost
containment programs saved groups more than $183.8
million in 2005. We also paid a record $418.2 million
in claims in 2005.
These are among the findings of our 2005 Cost Containment
Report.
Delta Dental of New Jersey reports cost containment
savings in eight key areas:
1. In-Network Savings - Reduction of billed
charges to reflect the participating dentist's filed
fee with Delta Dental, the maximum allowable charge
approved for a Delta Dental Premier dentist, or the
maximum charge approved under a PPO program. Represents
savings from utilization of network dentists.
2. Contractual Limitations - Procedures denied
due to generally accepted dental practice or specific
contract limitations such as performance of a procedure
in excess of a frequency limitation. Also includes
reduction of payments due to Table of Allowance,
reduction to the levels upon which payments to non-par
dentists are based, and PPO tables (when non-PPO
dentists are utilized).
3. Eligibility Verification - Benefit denials
for procedures rendered during a period of patient
ineligibility under the plan.
4. Non-Covered Services - Benefit denials
for procedures excluded from coverage under the group
program.
5. Dentist Consultant Review - Procedures
that are not supported by diagnostic records or within
generally accepted standards of dental care based
on direct review or payment policy established by
Delta Dental's dental consultants. This includes
procedures for which Delta Dental will provide a
benefit allowance for an alternative procedure that
is within the generally accepted standard of care
given the diagnosis or treatment plan.
6. Optional Services - Benefit denials or
alternate benefit allowances for dental procedures
that are considered optional and may be performed
at the expense of the patient.
7. Non-Billable Services - Procedures that
are not chargeable to Delta Dental or billable to
the patient. Such charges may include component costs
of a more comprehensive procedure that do not warrant
a separate charge, and services denied as duplicate
submissions.
8. COB Savings - Claim dollars saved through
the application of coordination of benefit policies
in accordance with the group contract, including
non-duplication COB reductions (where applicable)
and an enforcement of order of benefit determination
rules.
To view the entire 2005 Cost Containment Report,
visit our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com;
click “Brokers” and “Cost Containment.”
Defining
Quality in Dental Benefits
Most businesses want to deliver quality service,
and quality in dental benefits often evolves from
long experience and steady growth.
It takes years to establish a good network and
ongoing effort and expertise to preserve its consistent
quality. For half a century the Delta Dental system
has been building its network and developing the
networks’ resources
to offer high quality, affordable service virtually
everywhere in the U.S.
Today about 75% of the dentists in the U.S. participate
in one or more of Delta Dental’s networks.
Wherever your clients do business, a network dentist
is likely to be nearby, ready to care for covered
subscribers.
“This network has evolved along with the country’s
economy, to help companies that require the experience
of a large, national carrier that also has local
representatives who can serve the needs and understand
the issues of local branch offices,” said Tom
Dolatowski, vice president of sales and marketing
for Delta Dental Plans Association.
Dentists collaborating with dentists
Dentists expect to be able to serve their patients
without third-party interference, and no one understands
this better than the dentists who work as executives
of Delta Dental. With their personal knowledge of
private dental practice, these executives help to
design plans that make sense for network dentists,
patients and plan sponsors.
“The front-line experience of our dental directors
and executives is a great advantage in negotiating
real-world guidelines and rates for treatments,” Dolatowski
said.
Committing to continuous improvement
Ease of administration and communication between
plan sponsors and Delta Dental is another mark of
quality. “It should be easy to add new subscribers,
receive information about what or who is covered
by various plans, follow a claim’s status or
get answers to any other administrative questions,
and we’re always evolving our systems to better
deliver this kind of support,” Dolatowski said.
Ongoing and informed collaboration with network dentists
and plan sponsors helps subscribers get the best
care at the best prices, perpetuating the demand
for dental benefits, which in turn drives interest
among new network dentists and continuously improves
access to and satisfaction with dental care. That’s
the value of an experienced dental benefits plan
provider who is committed to quality service.
White,
Maloney Receive President's Award
Kim White and Ed Maloney
were recently honored as winners of the 2005 President’s
Award.
The award was presented by Delta Dental President
and Chief Executive Officer Walter VanBrunt. The
annual award recognizes New Jersey and Connecticut
account executives with the highest new sales premium.
This marked the sixth President’s Award for
White, a senior account executive in New Jersey,
and the fourth President’s Award for Maloney,
an account executive in Connecticut. White joined
Delta Dental 12 years ago. Maloney has been with
Delta Dental for eight years.
Satisfaction
with Dental Benefits Influences Attitudes Toward
Health Coverage
A recent study has found
that employees who are highly satisfied with their
dental benefits plans are also more likely to be
satisfied with their medical coverage.
The study was conducted by Wilson Health Information
LLC, a health-care research firm in New Hope, PA,
and reported in the February 2006 issue of Managed
Dental Care.
“Nearly all respondents who are highly satisfied
with dental care coverage are satisfied with their
health insurance overall,” said Jim Wilson,
RPh, MBA, president of Wilson Health Information
LLC. “And nearly two out of three are highly
satisfied. Further, as their satisfaction with dental
care coverage declines, their satisfaction with their
health plan declines considerably.”
According to the Wilson Health Information survey,
71% of respondents nationwide are “satisfied” or “very
satisfied” with their dental coverage. Satisfaction
rates among Delta Dental subscribers in New Jersey
and Connecticut are significantly higher than the
national average. In our 2005 survey, 83% of subscribers
said they are “satisfied” or “very
satisfied” with Delta Dental.
Delta Dental Has Highest Name Recognition Among
Dental Carriers
In a recent survey of consumers nationwide, Delta
Dental was the most frequently mentioned dental benefits
plan. The study, conducted by Wilson Health Information
LLC, was reported in the February 2006 issue of Managed
Dental Care. Respondents mentioned Delta Dental
almost three times more often any other dental benefits
plan.
Dental Networks Grew in 2005
Our networks of participating
dentists continued to grow steadily in 2005.
In New Jersey in 2005 we added:
- 455 dentists to the Delta Dental Premier network
- 417 dentists to the Advantage network
- 406 dentists to the Delta Dental PPO network
- 1,149 dentists to the Delta Dental Patient Direct
network
In Connecticut in 2005 we added:
- 107 dentists to the Delta Dental Premier network
- 111 dentists to the Delta Dental PPO network
Delta Dental Premier is
our traditional fee-for-service dental program.
The Advantage Program is a wide access PPO plan,
available only in New Jersey. Delta Dental PPO
is our PPO program designed for maximum cost savings.
Delta Dental Patient Direct is not dental insurance,
but is a program for individuals, families, and group
purchasers that offers access to a network of dentists.
For more about our programs, visit our Web site at www.deltadentalnj.com; click “Products” on
the left navigation bar.
Online Eligibility Submissions
Security Reminder
A growing number of groups
submit eligibility changes online to Delta Dental.
Online eligibility submission is a fast, easy way
to add, delete and update subscriber information.
Please remind groups to notify Delta Dental whenever
someone new assumes responsibility for submitting
eligibility online. New benefits administrators should
contact our Enrollment Department at (973) 285-4144
to register and receive a password.
Groups should also contact our Enrollment Department
when benefits administrators leave the company or
no longer have responsibility for submitting eligibility
changes. We need to remove the person’s name
and password from our system in order to prevent
unauthorized access.
Some former benefits administrators have “handed
over” their passwords to new administrators.
This is unwise. It helps to have a current e-mail
address if we need to contact the benefits administrator
about a submission problem. Second, it protects your
company by denying access from unauthorized users.
Delta Dental Patient Direct
Network Grows
Do you have groups in
New Jersey that have a large population of part-time
workers, retirees, seasonal workers or others that
aren’t covered by the
company’s dental plan?
Delta Dental Patient Direct provides a solution:
a dental access program. Delta Dental Patient Direct
is not insurance. Rather, it offers members access
to a network of dentists who agree to provide dental
care at fees no higher than the Delta Dental Patient
Direct fee schedule.
More than 1,500 dentists and specialists in New Jersey
have joined the Delta Dental Patient Direct network.
New Jersey residents who do not have dental insurance
and are at least 18 years of age, and their dependents,
are eligible to become members of Delta Dental Patient
Direct. Members are responsible for paying 100% of
the participating dentist’s fee up to the Delta
Dental Patient Direct fee schedule for the dental
procedure.
Individuals pay an annual enrollment fee of $66.
Families pay an annual enrollment fee of $96 (regardless
of how many dependents are under 23 years old).
“Delta Dental Patient Direct can help brokers
solidify relationships with an account,” says
Allan Berkin, Manager, New Business Development. “It
allows brokers to uncover voluntary needs of individuals
within a large group, and opens doors to sell other
individual products to members of their large groups.”
For more information about Delta Dental Patient Direct,
go to www.patientdirectnj.com,
or contact your account executive.
Sixteenth
Annual Delta Dental Classic Scheduled
The Sixteenth Annual Delta Dental Classic, which
benefits Special Olympics New Jersey, will take place
on June 21, 2006 at Fiddler's Elbow Country Club
in Bedminster, New Jersey. For information, contact
Jennifer Appaluccio at jappaluccio@deltadentalnj.com.
Be sure to mark the date!
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