Your Care and Comfort is Our Top Priority - Response to Boston Globe Article 2.8.2017

Last week Ms. McCluskey from the Boston Globe contacted us about speaking on record about the changes Delta Dental is making to dental care. We were happy to speak with her because Delta Dental’s change from a non-profit to for-profit will directly interfere with patient care.

Our number one priority is our patients. We would be nothing without our patients and are thankful for them every day. We are excited for every new patient call and question how we could have done things differently when a patient leaves the practice. We endeavor to always treat our patients with respect. Our practice has been building relationships with patients for more than 40 years. Over that time, dentistry has changed dramatically but the one constant is how we treat you, our patients.

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Our goal is to make our office a warm, inviting place. We are not a medical office where you are greeted by an unfriendly face behind a glass enclosure. When a patient walks through our front door we great you by name and with a smile. We start every day with a team meeting where we go through our schedule discussing the individual needs of each patient. We pride ourselves in our timeliness but, in the event we must run a few minutes late, we give you a gift card to Dunkin Donuts. We reserve one hour for every continuing care cleaning appointment, and many of you have been seeing the same hygienist for 20 years. We happily answer any and all questions. If you call with an emergency, we see you that day. We personally answer emergency calls after hours and on the weekend. If you need treatment, our office manager, who has been with us for over 35 years, will help you navigate your insurance and present financing options. We are constantly taking continuing education classes and investing in new technology. We are proud of our office and thecomprehensive care we provide.

All of that may seem soapy but it is the truth. We care deeply for our patients, and we are confident that if you asked them they would agree (we are proud of our Google reviews). We are not alone in how we treat our patients and provide care. There are hundreds of offices in Massachusetts who treat patients with the same care and compassion we do. Delta Dental is trying to take that away. They want to paint dentists as greedy because then it takes the focus away from them. Our focus is patient care; Delta’s is making money.

So why are Delta’s intended changes bad for patients? If patients have lower premiums and Delta and patients pay less for dentistry, it seems like a win-win. Unfortunately, something has to give. It is easy to say that dentists should take less profit. However, when the cut in Delta reimbursements almost equals our profit, then that is saying that we should be

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working for basically free. We use the best materials, use the highest quality American labs, and pay our experienced team well, all for the direct benefit of our patients.  As reimbursement levels come down, an office has to look at costs, and trim where it does not affect the quality of the final service. For example, there has just come on the market a nasal spray anesthetic that completely anesthetizes the upper six front teeth without using a needle. This eliminates the need for an otherwise uncomfortable injection. However, the cost of each application is $40 while a traditional needle injection is $1-2. Since patient care is not affected (although comfort will be), we will continue to buy the traditional needle anesthetic. We will always maintain buying the best possible filling materials, cements, etc. We have too much integrity to compromise our dentistry (please see my blog from December goo.gl/lcEkYP ), but it would be impossible for us to stay in business and not change some part of how we do things.  Cost saving will be found in all the other areas.  I hope people can look at how Delta is backing dentists into a corner.

Delta Dental was started by dentists who recognized the need to increase oral care. For many years they were good partners to dentists, employers, and patients. They provided employers with several options (Premier, PPO, etc.) so that their employees could have a choice in their dental care. Delta, as a non-profit, was regulated by the Division of Insurance which benefits patients and dentists. They have now changed their structure to a for-profit in order to no longer be regulated by the Division of Insurance. Delta’s goal is to no longer market and sell the better dental plans. This is for Delta's profit alone. The executive at Delta Dental who is charge of this effort, Erick Paul, came to our office and told us Delta was doing this because they are looking to increase profit and increase their market share. When we asked how we are to run our office with a 20-30% decrease in revenue, his comment was that Delta will drive more "steerage" to us. That is the difference between small dental practices and Delta Dental. Patients are steerage for them, while to us patients are part of our dental family.

Delta Dental knows dentists are loyal to their patients and the ultimatums given to dentists who do not sign their contract are not in your, our patient’s, best interests. Delta Dental tells us if we go out of network they will send letters to all our patients with any Delta Dental policy recommending they seek care elsewhere. They will no longer directly pay us for services; the patient would have to pay up front for any treatment and then be reimbursed

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for a small portion by Delta Dental in 2-3 weeks. This is a large financial strain for many of our patients, and Delta Dental is counting on that. We currently file insurance claims for all our patients and address claims issues. If we leave the Delta Dental network we will only be allowed to file the claims and will never know to help fix issues – it would be up to the patients. It is important to note that ALL of our patients’ insurance companies (all out-of-network with exception of one) directly pay dentists (assignment of benefits) and allow dentists to be in the constant loop helping patients with their insurance claims and predeterminations.

Many dental offices have a 30-50% Delta Dental patient base. Delta Dental is using dentists’ fears of losing patients to pressure us into a contract which benefits mainly Delta Dental. This is not good for dentistry or the consumer; this is good for Delta Dental. The CEO of NON-PROFIT Delta Dental made $6,810,994 in 2014, and that same year Delta Dental paid out only 62% of the premiums collected (Obamacare states that insurance companies should pay out 80% of premiums). If Delta Dental cared about dental care they would continue to market and sell Premier, PPO, and other plans in order to provide employers and employees with options. Employers also need to take a good hard look at the plans they are providing to their employees. The fact that annual maximums of $1,000-1,500 have remained stagnant for 30-40 years is incomprehensible. Every person out there needs to contact his or her human resources department and let them know about the changes Delta is proposing to make and how it is going to affect his or her care.

Delta Dental needs to put patients first, just as we have for the past 40 years.

Letter to Our Patients with Delta Dental in 2017

To Our Valued Patients at Lund Dental with Delta Dental Insurance:

We work in a special office here at Lund Dental. I truly believe that. First and foremost, we put our patients first. At every morning business meeting we discuss how we can do things better for our patients. We know that we are nothing without our patients, and we work very hard to earn and maintain their respect and trust. Dr. William Lund built this practice 41 years ago, and I am proud to say I have been here over 13 years.

We have made a conscious effort to be an exceptional dental practice that does not cut corners with time, workmanship, or care. Just a few of the ways we do this include: a dentist personally spending over an hour with each new patient; reserving a full hour for each adult continuing care cleaning; investing in state-of-the-art dental technology; using the best dental materials and laboratories; encouraging and paying our team to attend continuing education classes; paying to retain our first class staff.

A long time ago, we decided that we were not going to allow dental insurances to dictate our dentistry, and through the years we have opted out of several plans that would have put such financial stress on us that we could not do the kind of dentistry that our patients deserve. We do not want to be a dental factory, churning out subpar fillings and rushing through 30 minute cleanings. Neither Dr. William Lund nor I could sleep at night if that were the kind of care we provided.

I cannot fully express the anger and frustration I felt today when we received a letter from Delta Dental of Massachusetts stating that unless we play ball with them, we will be dropped from their plan. What do they want us to do?…Accept an approximately 25% fee reduction across the board. If we refuse to sign their paperwork, they will inform all our Delta Dental of Massachusetts patients that we are no longer a provider, and they will recommend that they seek dental care elsewhere with a Delta Dental provider. We will no longer be able to submit insurance for our patients and receive payment; instead, patients who choose to remain with us will pay for services and then seek reimbursement from Delta themselves. The letter stated we have 14 days to decide what to do. It seems very convenient that the letter was sent around Christmas time when everyone is busy and distracted.

This is Delta Dental of Massachusetts taking advantage of you the patient. They want to pay less money for your dental care, and they do not care if it means you the patient receive compromised care. For years, we have accepted a write-off of approximately 10% from Delta Dental of Massachusetts. We did this because we knew a large portion of our patients have Delta, and financially it was feasible to take the write-off. As the write-off climbs to over 30%, it is no longer the case. Something has to give, and we do not want it to be your dental care.

Does this mean that if we remain in the plan we would do “bad” dentistry? Of course not! But that 60 minute cleaning will need to be cut down to 40 minutes. There will be less time with the actual dentist and more time with assistants. Does this sound familiar to anyone? It is what has happened with medicine, and I cannot think of one person who is genuinely happy with their medical care or medical insurance.

Just as we are upset and frustrated, you should be too. Contact your employer and tell them to find alternatives to Delta Dental of Massachusetts. Delta Dental is only looking out for themselves and puts no real value on the quality of your dental care. We plan on doing everything we can to oppose this. We love and value you our patients and love dentistry too much to go down without a fight.

Yours Truly,

Dr. Cara Lund

Only a Few Months Left to use Dental Benefits!

Did you know there is only 4 months until 2017?  Fall is upon us as children head back to school, the sun is setting a little earlier each night, and the bright green of summer slowly becomes burnt oranges and vibrant reds.  As we near the end of your insurance year, we wanted to remind you to take advantage of any unused dental benefits. Every year you receive a maximum amount from your dental insurance company, and in most cases the unused portion of this amount is lost when the new insurance year starts. These are benefits you have already paid for! 

What about Flex Benefits?  It's your last opportunity to “use it” before you “lose it,” you owe it to yourself to check on the balance today. 

Click here to schedule your appointment

Love the Gums You're With

Love the Gums You’re With 

It may seem like a hassle to get to the dentist for your continuing care hygiene visit with work and your kid’s afterschool activities but did you know gum disease can increase the risk heart disease?

Patients who have periodontal disease have inflamed gums due to trapped bacteria which is called plaque.  This inflammation is caused by poor dental hygiene, unhealthy diet, and/or smoking.  The unhealthy gums pull back from the tooth and periodontal pockets develop which creates a breeding ground for bacteria.  The pockets can widen enough to even cause loose teeth.     

So what does gum disease and heart disease have in common?   Inflammation!  Don’t be fooled.  The bacteria doesn’t stay in the mouth.  It travels from the diseased gum tissue to your bloodstream throughout your body.  Plaque can then build up in the arteries.  This clogging inflames the tissue and reduces blood flow and oxygen flow to the heart. 

There is a number of prevention methods: 

            -Brushing and flossing twice a day.

            -Routine visits to your dental provider.

            -Healthy diet and weight.  A diet rich in antioxidants help decrease any inflammation in the body and fight bacteria.

Keep your heart healthy and visit your dentist!

           

            

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Dental Insurance, Use It or Lose It

       It is that time again when patients need to be aware of their insurance benefits.   A patient may postpone treatment for various reasons one of which may be financial.   If a patient has dental insurance, often times they may not be aware of the fact that they did not utilize all their benefits for the calendar year.  These are monies that are wasted by the patient.  If the total benefit is not reached, the money remains unused.

             At this time of year, people may have sufficient benefits remaining on their dental policies to have some treatment completed.   Without knowing, they may let these benefits lapse when they could have had a necessary treatment.  It is to the patient’s best interest to know just what they are entitled to for a calendar year.  This way, they may be able to have that one part of their treatment plan completed and not let this money be wasted.

            Dianne, our office administrator, is wonderful at maximizing your dental benefits.  If you think you may have some benefits remaining for 2015, please call the office. Don’t let this money go unused.