November 1998 Newsletter

President's Message || MCDS Board of Trustees / Committee Reports || Council On Dental Benefits

Treasurer's Report Detail || NJDA State Board of Trustees Report || Articles || Announcements

President's Message

I recently attended the annual President's and President's-Elect Conference. At this all day meeting, the NJDA officers, council chairpersons and staff informed us about the current issues, programs and member benefits provided to us by our state dental association. This proved to be a very educational day that left me feeling secure that NJDA is serving our needs.

After this meeting I decided to compile a list of some of the exceptional benefits that are only provided to member dentists. The New Jersey Dental Association:

1. Provides opportunities to meet state continuing education requirements at virtually no cost.
2. Has a LawLine, staffed by an attorney, available to members to answer any questions pertaining to dental practice issues.
3. Provides a thorough dental provider contract analysis upon request.
4. Operates a third-party problem reporting/resolution system that has resolved hundreds of problem claims and resulted in substantial payments to members.
5. Provides legal representation to members at no cost in connection with issues that affect dentistry.
6. Helps dentists who are seeking employment or who are looking for associates or partners through its Employment Exchange and free classified advertising.
7. Provides an on-line information resource on the World Wide Web which provides the latest in legislative news, on-line registration forms for NJDA events, announcements, other news, e-mail accounts and offers opportunities for classified advertising.
8. Endorses a variety of highly competitive insurance programs for members.
9. Publishes the highly regarded, award-winning Journal of the NJDA and the Capsule, a timely newsletter containing important dental information.
10. Provides, on request, a model Dental Office Employee Manual that members can personalize for use in their offices.
11. Produces an annual convention featuring scientific speakers, exhibits and social activities.

While this list is only a small sample of our member benefits, there are many additional resources available to us every day through our state dental association. Remember that while certain NJDA activities may also benefit the public and/or non-member dentists, the benefits listed above are only available to member dentists. I hope this will serve to remind all of you of the value of your membership and might prompt some non-member dentists to consider joining. NJDA is there for us - it is our organization - take full advantage of the services it provides.

Sincerely,

Ira S. Rosen, D.M.D.

President, Middlesex County Dental Society

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MCDS Board of Trustees Report

-October 13, 1998-

Attendance: Brunsden, DeSciscio, Engel, Fahsbender, Fertig, Glickman, Habas, Huberman, Kahn, Kline, Krantz, Lawson, Leizer, Livanos, Perlmutter, Prabhu, Rosen, Rosenheck, Schambra, Silverstein, Villa, Weiner

Acceptance of Minutes-9/8/98-Unanimous with corrections: Profit realized from Annual Session was incorrectly reported. ADA's proposed three-year-plan for dues increase to replenish available reserves are a cumulative increase.

Treasurer's Report: Previous Balance $48,610.81

P. DeSciscio, Treasurer Income/Expenses - 8,567.58 Current Balance $40,043.23

President's Report-I. Rosen

• The NJDA House of Delegates Meeting will be November 18, 1998 at the JFK Conference Center.
• MCDS will be honoring 15 new life members at the NJDA Officer's Visitation Meeting. A special invitation will be going out to them, and NJDA picks up the cost of their dinner.
• A letter was received from the ADA about the impending vote on the Public Awareness Campaign. They are asking the state and local officers to rally together in support of the campaign, should it be voted in, to minimize the potential negative ramifications.
• The ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct was published and placed in the back of the JADA.
• The proposed amendments to the MCDS Constitution & Bylaws were discussed. Additions to the Constitution are underlined and deletions are in parenthesis. A copy will be made available to members at the 10/19 general meeting and then subsequently published and mailed in the next newsletter. A vote on the changes will be held at the 11/17 general meeting.
• A 2-3 person committee is needed to refine the Rules of the Board. The Vice President is in charge of the Constitution & Bylaws, so he (Dr. Bloom) should chair the committee. Dr. Perlmutter volunteered to assist on this committee.
• The 1999 dues structure was discussed and streamlined. The 1999 dues proposal is $150 (formerly $152.75). A motion was made to accept this, vote was unanimous. A proposal was made to change the dues structure for first time members to reflect the change made in the ADA dues structure-first year 25%, second year 50%, and third year 75%. A motion was made to accept this, vote was unanimous. Dues for associate members were $25 plus dinners when they attended. It has proven to be a bookkeeping headache to identify the associate members during a dinner meeting to request their dinner payment. A motion was made to charge associate members for five of the eight dinners (just like full members) and add the $25 dues to that for a total of $115. Vote was unanimous. The dues proposal for active life members was $120. A motion was made to accept this, vote was unanimous.

UMDNJ-A. Rosenheck

Dr. Rosenheck has been appointed to be the liaison between NJ Dental School and NJDA and also between NJDS and the ADA.

NJDA Council Reports:

NJDA Board of Trustees-D. Krantz

See full report in the newsletter.

Annual Session-P. Engel

• A correction from the amount of surplus reported from the last meeting: Net surplus was $73,000, not $10,000
• The 1999 Annual Session will be held May 21-23 at the Convention Center. Dr. Bill Dickerson will be a pre-session speaker on Thursday, May 20^th.
• There will be a health screening at the session for cholesterol, latex allergy, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Discussion has continued for a joint meeting with Maryland and Delaware in the year 2000.

Special Olympics-C. Brunsden

The billboards are up now for most of the state. The printer of the billboards made an error, leaving the NJDA logo off of most of them. To rectify the matter, they are reprinting those with the omission, giving us an additional twenty billboards, and leaving them for an extra month at no charge. The mailing has been done to all member dentists. All contributions will directly benefit NJSO's activities.

ADA Trustees Report-J. Leizer

• The survey done about the Public Awareness campaign was not positive. A significant number (30%) said they would drop their membership if this passed the vote. ADA owns this program, so if some states want this program, they can run it individually rather than on a national level. We will be voting NO on this program.
• The initial asbestos abatement project has not yet been completed. We will be voting NO on the new asbestos abatement project until the initial project has been finished.
• There is now $13 million in available reserves, and ADA wants to increase this to $25 million. We will vote NO on the contribution to available reserve because the reserve is currently very large and should cover most problems that could arise. If a situation arises where funds above this level are required, they can come back with a proposal another year for additional funds.

Membership Council-N. Villa

• Ms. Marie Beyer has joined NJDA as the new director of membership and communications. She gave a great presentation of possible R&R activities for the future. In conjunction with Erin Murphy from the ADA's Membership Department, NJDA will become much more active in the near future in the area of member recruitment. The first meeting of the statewide task force is scheduled for November 17^th.
• NJDA currently reimburses MCDS for half the cost non-member dinners up to $15. Dr. Villa will suggest an amendment to this benefit to include reimbursement for mailings to non-members and other recruitment activities.

New Dentists-M. Prabhu, M. Weiner

• The council on New Dentists met 10/7/98. It was agreed that the Council's approach to recruitment at UMDNJ was not yielding adequate results for our efforts. The Council will try to recruit a recent UMDNJ alumnus liaison to give the council insight into the best approach to recruit senior dental students.
• The residency lunches have begun with excellent feedback from the residents. The residents have expressed being overwhelmed with student loan/financial management. The Council discussed continuing education or seminar ideas on this topic. In addition, the Council discussed the possibility of sponsoring a very low cost course on “Purchasing a Dental Practice” for new dentist members with an incentive to bring non-members. The Council will reconvene in January 1999.

Council on Dental Benefits-D. Krantz

• Delta Dental refuses to pay for an extraction if done within 30 days of an I & D. Rather than fight Delta on every issue, we want to accumulate a list, with written documentation, of other objectionable practices (from Delta and other carriers).
• Medicaid instituted a pre-authorization requirement for behavior management. NJDA's discussions with the State might yield no further regulations along these lines, and might ultimately result in greater reimbursement levels.
• Governor Pataki vetoed an increase in Medicaid fees in NY. DSSNY is taking legal action to compel Gov. Pataki to increase fees above the 10% to 30% level where they are now.
• There was correspondence between the State Board and the legal counsel for Millenium Health Card. As Council of Dental Benefits previously suspected, Millenium's proposed arrangement with dentists constitutes impermissible fee splitting. State Board wants to get a list of dentists from Millenium.
• There was an 8/5/98 public meeting regarding the regulation on dental consultants. State Board members want to pursue publication and adoption of this regulation, which would require them to hold a NJ license, and their name, phone number, and reason for denial to on the insurance claim.
• According to regulation, claims for dental procedures cannot be submitted until completion. This is especially true for crown and bridge procedures. If a claim is submitted prior to insertion, the fact that it is not the insertion date must be clearly indicated, or else the doctor can be prosecuted for fraud. Further discussions with the State Board are ongoing, especially the situation where there is extensive reconstruction and a significant amount of time will elapse between preparation and insertion.

Insurance Council-R. Kahn

At the direction of the NJDA Board of Trustees, the Council on Insurance is reviewing professional liability carriers. Eight proposals were made and it was narrowed down to two finalists, which are Professional Liability Insurance, Inc. and The Medical Protective Company. NJDA receives royalties from the company it endorses.

Children's Dental Health Month-C. Brunsden

This year's activities include the following:

• County-wide School Poster Contest
• Pediatricians Awareness Program
• County Nurses Continuing Education-March 10, 1999
• NJDA at the Circus-“A Family Affair”-March 14, 1999
• Dental Health Fair and Awards Ceremony-April 11, 1999

Peer Review-J. Fahsbender

There were three cases this month and all were settled.

Communications-R. Silverstein

• The Board of Trustees minutes will be given to the newsletter editor directly and should be published as given. The Board wants to be sure that dissemination of information is consistent throughout the state.
• The Council decided to eliminate future listings in the telephone directory yellow pages.

MCDS Committee Reports:

Membership Committee-N. Villa

• There are five new members this month. At the October 19^th meeting, certificates will be presented to the fourteen new members who have not yet received them.
• Most of the members on the drop list last month were contacted with positive results.

Mentor-E. Glickman

The next OSHA seminar has been scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 1998 at St. Peter's Hospital. The facility holds 180 people, and 150 are currently registered. A motion was made to subsidize the $2 parking fee. Vote passes 20-1.

Editor's Report-M. Weiner

Thanks to Dr. Bob Silverstein for use of the digital camera during the last dinner meeting. The picture clarity in the newsletter was much better. Drs. Chustckie and Kline got an ad for the newsletter from Benco Dental. This newsletter was mailed to members only. All information for the next newsletter must be received by 10/22/98.

Website-R. Silverstein

The fluoride levels for all NJ towns are now on the NJDA website. There will be a link from the MCDS website to the towns in our area. All the photos are up on the website now.

Program-N. Villa

The cocktail hour at the last meeting was successful, and we would like to repeat that at the January Officers Night. Any business will be discussed right before dinner. A schedule needs to be made for that meeting to keep everything running smoothly for the special presentations to the Life Members and other activities. NJDA sends a mailing to non-members for this meeting and reimburses MCDS for half the cost of non-member dinners up the $15 each. We should also consider sending that newsletter to non-members.

Corporate Sponsorship-R. Kline, J. Chustckie

A sample introduction letter with pricing all potential sponsorship activities was put together. Final pricing needs to be nailed down according to the costs incurred (such as additional pages and postage for the newsletter). The editor does not want more than 25% ads in the newsletter, so that should help to determine appropriate pricing.

Dinner Dance-H. Habas

The committee is looking for corporate sponsors for the dinner dance. The honorees will include all past president's since the last dinner dance, and potentially a special honoree. A Program/Ad Journal committee including Drs. Habas, Schambra, and Livanos will work out the specifics of this task.

New Business

A motion was made to re-nominate Dr. Peter Clemente to the UMDNJ Foundation. Vote was unanimous.

Respectfully submitted,

Bruce Huberman, DMD

Secretary

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Treasurer's Report

November 1, 1998

Peter L. DeSciscio, DMD, FAGD

Previous Balance

(9/30/98) $48,610.81

Income / Expenses

(9/30/98 - 10/31/98)

$14,802.59

Current Balance (- 8,567.58)

(10/31/98) $40.043.23

PROFIT & LOSS STATEMENT

8/31/98 Through 10/31/98

INCOME:

Total -0

EXPENSES:

Dinner Meeting (September)

Pines Manor $2,853.60

Continuing Education

(Seltzer; Takacs) 3,969.87

Lecture Fees 500.00

Newsletter (September) 1,140.70

Secretarial 60.00

Telephone 43.41

TOTAL EXPENSES -($8,667.58)

TOTAL INCOME/EXPENSE -($8,567.58)

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Council On Dental Benefits

1. DELTA

Delta refuses to pay for an extraction if it is done within 30 days of an I&D. Rather than fight Delta on every issue, we want to accumulate a list, with written documentation, of other onerous and objectionable practices (from Delta and other carriers).

2. AMERIDENT

Amerident feels that NJDA informed its members that Amerident is not properly registered with the Dept. of Banking and Insurance; NJDA did not so inform. In addition, we requested a legal analysis supporting their opinion that Amerident is not subject to the Dept. of Banking Insurance regulations.

3. MEDICAID

Medicaid instituted a pre-authorization requirement for behavior management. NJDA's discussions with the State might yield no further regulation along these lines, and might ultimately result in greater reimbursement levels. Medicaid is looking for a replacement local agent to replace UNISYS, whose contract is scheduled to expire in Nov. of 2000. Anyone interested?

4. KIDCARE

NJDA opposes including Kidcare with Medicaid managed care, due to access problems. NJDA will be working with the State to resolve these issues.

5. NY LAWSUIT Governor Pataki vetoed an increase in medical fees in NY. DSSNY is taking legal action to compel Gov. Pataki to increase fees above the 10% to 30% level where they are now.

6. MILLENIUM HEALTH CARD

There was correspondence between State Board and legal counsel for Millenium. As Council of Dental Benefits previously suspected, Millenium's proposal arrangement with dentists constitutes impermissable fee splitting. State Board wants to get a list of dentists from Millenium.

7. PROPOSED REGUALTION FOR REGULATE CONSULTANTS

There was an August 5, 1998 public meeting regarding this regulation. State Board members want to pursue publication and adoption of this regulation. The American Association of Dental Consultants is encouraging its members to have a massive letter writing campaign to the Board to defeat this resolution. In a nutshell, this regulation would require NJ license, consultants name, phone number and reasons for denial of a claim. More about this in the future.

9. PROPOSED COB REGULATIONS

Long awaited COB regulations were published in the NJ Register on July 20, 1998. NJDA urged adoption, with one small change.

10. TREATMENT DATE vs. COMPLETION DATE

According to regulation, claims for dental procedures cannot be submitted until completed. This is especially true for crown and bridge procedures. If a claim is submitted prior to insertion, the fact that it is not the insertion date must be clearly indicated, or else the doctor can be prosecuted for fraud. This has happened. Further discussions with the State Board are ongoing, especially the situation where there is extensive reconstruction and a significant amount of time will elapse between preparation and insertion.

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NJDA Board of Trustees Report

Components societies are not allowed to separately post minutes of the State Board of Trustees Report. You can now find the reports at http://www.njda.org/member/board_minutes/index.html.

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Articles

PEER REVIEW. . .

Mediation: The First Step in reer Review

By Dr John Fahsbender

There are times when the dentist/patient/insurance company relationship breaks down and an unbiased third party system is called into effect. Usually, patients are upset over what they perceive as poor quality dentistry. Sometimes, they simply want someone to vent their frustrations to. They feel that the communication process has broken down with the dentist and that they have no "voice." A patient may contact NJDA headquarters and ask for help. When this request for mediation is received, it is given a case number and all patient/dentist/insurance company data is required. All parties sign consent forms, agreeing to binding arbitration.

The Chairman of the local peer review committee reviews the information and determines whether mediation is appropriate. Mediation is accomplished by contacting all participants and attempting to reconcile their difficulties. Ideally, the patient would return to the dentist and have him correct the problem. Usually, that does not occur. During mediation, the patient is not examined nor is any conclusion reached as to the validity of the complaint. The results of mediation vary. The dentist could agree to return all, or part, of the fee. The patient could agree to go back to the dentist to fix the problem ' or accept the monetary offer. Both sides must be in agreement. If they are, mediation is successful and the case is closed. If not successful, it is returned to a committee for further action. Mediation should, and does benefit both parties.

Next Month: What if Mediation Fails?

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Announcements

It's Time for Another

Dinner Dance

Saturday

April 17, 1999

In Memoriam

MCDS Executive Council and Membership extend their condolences to:
NJDA Executive Director Phil Cocuzza
on the passing of his sister,
Viola Gerardi

WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS

• ZAJEEV KURAY

• YASSER REFAI

• NELIMA RATKALKAR

• AVI WEISFOGEL

• ANDREW CHUNG

• MARJAN NOROOZI

Ms Marie Beyer has Joined NJDA as the new Director of membership and communications. She gave a great presentation of possible R&R activities for the future. In conjunction with Erin Murphy from the ADA's membership Department, NJDA will become much more active in the near future in the area of member recruitment. The first meeting of the statewide taskforce is scheduled for Nov. 17.

- Dr. Nancy Villa

Membership Chairperson

Middlesex County Dental Society

CHILDREN'S DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

"A Great Smile is Always in Fashion"

• County-wide School Poster Contest

• Pediatrician Awareness Program

• County Nurses Continuing Education -Mar. 10, 1999

• NJDA at the Circus - "A Family Affair" -Mar. 14, 1999

* Dental Health Fair and Awards Ceremony - Apr. 11, 1999

MCDS members actively support the concept of early preventive dental health education for children. If you wish to participate in the Children's Dental Health Program contact:

CAVAN BRUNSDEN, DMD at 732-679-2323

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