| News affecting dental benefits |  |
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- Study: No need to delay dental care after heart attack
Dental care does not increase the risk of a second event in patients who suffered a heart attack or other vascular event, a study of 50,329 Medicare patient records found. Some medical school textbooks recommend postponing elective dental care for a few weeks to six months after a vascular event. Dentists treating heart patients should weigh the risks and urgency of the procedure and consult with the patient's cardiologist before prescribing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, American Heart Association spokeswoman Dr. Ann Bolger said. Medscape (free registration)
(11/8)     
- Ceramic mandibular veneers perform well in study
Ceramic veneers placed on anterior mandibular teeth due to discoloration, coronal fracture, misalignment or other indication had a success rate of 95% after three years in a private practice study published in the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. DrBicuspid.com (free registration)
(11/12)
| Oral Health | | |
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- Dental care can lower drug costs for diabetes patients
People with diabetes who are treated for gum disease have lower pharmacy costs than those whose gum disease is untreated, a study found. United Concordia Dental, a subsidiary of Highmark, reviewed the records of 1.7 million subscribers and found that patients with diabetes who received regular dental care saved an average of $1,477 annually on prescription drugs compared with diabetes patients who did not receive dental care. An earlier United Concordia study found that diabetes patients who were treated for gum disease had fewer hospitalizations and physician visits than those who did not receive dental care. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
(11/14), American City Business Journals/Pittsburgh
(11/14)
- Study links obesity with more cavities in poor children
Children from low-income families whose body mass index rises with age are also likely to have an increasing number of cavities, a study published in the Journal of Pediatric Health showed. The link could be due to lack of access to nutritious food, sharing of eating utensils and toothbrushes, a lack of running water and a lack of access to dental care. DentistryToday.com
(11/14)
| Company News | | |
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| NADP News | | |
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- NADP/LIMRA release Claims Processing Metric Report
Customer service is critical to success in the dental benefits industry. For this reason NADP and LIMRA are proud to present the 2011 U.S. Group Dental Claims Processing Metrics. This report provides significant data to highlight the ultimate test of customer loyalty and business success or failure. It includes data on claims processing profiles, claims processing performance, real time and auto adjudication, benefit utilization and performance guarantees. It is available for purchase via the Report Vault page of the NADP website.
- NADP/LIMRA release Administrative Metric Report
The current business environment – a weak economy, high price sensitivity and health care reform requirements – highlight the importance of effective management of administrative components of dental plans. Insightful data from the NADP/LIMRA 2011 U.S. Group Dental Administrative Metrics report can help you sharpen your competitive edge in this business environment. In addition to recredentialing and recruitment data, the report includes administrative metrics regarding ID cards, Certificates of Coverage and document delivery; provider credentialing (timing and documentation); and provider directories updates and provider network updates. It is available for purchase via the Report Vault page of the NADP website.
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