CORRECTION: In the news release, ADA Launches Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Program at Temple University, issued 24-Nov-2009 by American Dental Association over PR Newswire, we are advised by the organization that the ninth paragraph, second sentence, should read “Salish Kootenai College in Montana” rather than “in Wyoming” as originally issued inadvertently. The complete, corrected release follows

ADA Launches Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Program at Temple University

CHICAGO, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Dental Association (ADA) has signed an agreement with Temple University to train new dental team members as part of a pilot program to improve the oral health in underserved communities.

The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) is a member of the dental health team who works in communities where residents have limited access to dental care to improve their oral health.

The CDHC provides a limited range of preventive dental care services — including screenings and fluoride treatments. However, of greater importance to these communities, the CDHC will help patients navigate the health system and access care by a dentist or an appropriate clinic and engage in educational activities to improve community members’ oral health habits.

Temple will recruit and train CDHCs from urban locations in Philadelphia over the next two years, returning them to their communities to work as dental team members under the supervision of dentists.

Although the CDHC is a new dental team member whose merits are not yet known, many studies of the community health worker (CHW) model indicate that they can make significant contributions to a community. Because the CDHC will function much like a CHW, the ADA believes that they, too, will have a positive impact on the oral health of their communities through education and outreach.

“We are delighted to welcome Temple’s participation,” said ADA President Dr. Ron Tankersley. “The pilot at Temple will help us understand the effectiveness of a dental health coordinator in underserved urban settings.”

Dr. Amid Ismail, dean of Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry and one of the architects of the CDHC program, explained why the program is seeking to place CDHC trainees in their own communities.

“Our aim is to ensure that the coordinator is able to bridge the gap between local cultures and health care systems. The CDHC can help improve people’s oral health habits and help patients navigate the social and bureaucratic barriers that prevent them from gaining access to available dental health services,” Dr. Ismail said.

Temple is the third of three pilot CDHC program sites. Two other pilot programs are directed by University of Oklahoma, which is training CDHCs from rural areas, and the University of California at Los Angeles, which, in conjunction with Salish Kootenai College in Montana, is training students from American Indian communities.

The ADA has funded the program, which will train six students per site each year.

About the American Dental Association

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association’s Web site at www.ada.org.

SOURCE American Dental Association

Credit: American Dental Association

-Monongalia County School’s Board of Education has tabled changes to the dental insurance plan until more research can be done.

The BOE made its decision Tuesday, after it received more information about possible changes.

The members learned about joining a Preferred Provider Organization, updating the policy and changing to a usual and customary rate.

But BOE President Nancy Walker said they wanted to have the whole policy reviewed, instead of making changes over of several months.

“I’d prefer to do this once and not come back,” she said.

Walker said she would like to see the exact plan before making any changes. She has also spoken to her dentist and several procedures the plan covers are outdated.

Walker said she wants board members to look at what exactly they are covering.

The discussion comes on the heels of a board vote to reverse changes made to the dental plan.

On Sept. 22, the board approved changing the way dentists made charges.

The vote was not on the agenda and was brought up during discussion of increasing benefits in the employees’ vision plan.

Employees receive a $1,500 allotment for their dental coverage, Superintendent Frank Devono said.

For example, if an employee receives a teeth cleaning that costs $100, he or she would have $1,400 to pay for other procedures.

Amber Zackery, co-president of the Monongalia County Education Association, said she was happy the board said it made a mistake and rescinded the vote.

She thought that vote overshadowed the good news about the increase in optical benefits approved at the same meeting.

The organization is going to try to work with the administration to determine the best benefit plan for its employees, Zackery said.

She said she doesn’t oppose changes to any insurance package, as long as it benefits the workers.

The board was informed of two possible changes it could make. The first was switching to a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).

With the switch, there would be no coverage changes and enrollees could visit any doctor, said Robyn Dilley, of American Benefits, administrator for the board’s policy. But employees who visit a dentist in the organization would receive a discount on the procedure’s costs.

The board decided against joining any organization without more research.

It also learned about usual and customary rate. Dentists are surveyed about a procedure’s cost and a maximum amount set that the insurance would pay for a procedure.

The patient would pick up any costs over the rate.

Of the more than 10,000 preventive care claims in the past year, Dilley said, more than 3,000 would have been over the rate.

But nearly 2,400 were $10 or less over the rate. She said many dentists don’t bill that small of an amount because it isn’t worth the time to recoup the money.

Devono said if they do make changes, board members would like to use the savings to improve the dental plan, either by increasing an employee’s allotment or by offering coverage on different procedures.

Board member Barbara Parsons said she would like them to look at their insurance policies every year to see if they need updating or changing.

“This isn’t something you can do overnight,” she said.

Credit: The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

AMD LASERS, the world leader in comprehensive and affordable laser technology, announced a strategic partnership aimed at providing even more value for dental professionals that purchase the Picasso diode dental laser. Partners include industry leaders 1-800-DENTIST(R), Fortune Management, and Cetylite Industries. While supplies last, AMD customers who purchase a Picasso laser package will receive a voucher for Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth (list price $24.95), a Gift Certificate for a FREE Practice Analysis (valued at $1,500), and a complimentary Cetacaine(R) Topical Anesthetic LIQUID Kit (value of $63).

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with these industry leading companies,” said Alan Miller, President and CEO of AMD LASERS. “Our customers are our greatest asset and creating such a high quality, value-added promotion will make their Picasso purchase experience even more pleasant and relevant to their business. At a value of almost $1,600, coupled with the world’s most affordable laser, we are confident this promotion will help with our goal of having a laser in every operatory.”

AMD LASERS, founded in 2006, is the global leader at providing comprehensive and affordable diode laser technology for dental professionals preparing to take their practice to the next level. The integration of Picasso, our high quality laser technology, enables thousands of dental practices to provide advanced patient care with ease. AMD LASERS customers also receive full-service customer care support from our knowledgeable and friendly staff. For more information about AMD LASERS, please call 866-999-2635, 317-202-9530, or visit us online at www.AMDLASERS.com.

Proctor & Gamble’s ongoing research indicates that nine out of ten children in the GCC region have decayed, missing or filled teeth. These statistics are extremely high compared to Europe indicating that dental hygiene and oral health is a topic that needs to be addressed. Mohammed Azzawe, Brand Manager for Crest & Oral-B at Proctor & Gamble Arabian Peninsula talks about the latest dental hygiene technologies developed to improve oral hygiene in the Middle East. These technologies will be showcased at the region’s largest dentistry event, Dentistry 2009, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 10 to 12 of November 2009.

At this year’s event, Oral-B will be exhibiting a new range of toothbrushes with Anti-Bacterial Bristle Protection, a technology which inhibits bacterial growth on bristles for up to three months. The new Oral-B Expert toothbrushes with Anti-Bacterial Bristle Protection use silver ion technology – a silver additive that is known to have antimicrobial properties. This allows for controlled silver-ion release and the constant introduction of new silver containing particles as the bristles wear during normal use. Silver ions are common antimicrobial agents and are used in a variety of different consumer and medical products.

Mr Azzawe believes Oral-B’s new technology will go along way to improving oral hygiene.

“Bacteria lives everywhere and in particular it grows on wet brushes after they have been used. Oral-B’s new technology helps to keep your brush clean and effective keeping acid erosion and cavities at bay.”

Oral-B works with dental professionals around the globe to develop products that are clinically proven to remove the most plaque and to promote oral hygiene. By showcasing this latest technology at Dentistry 2009, Oral-B will ensure that practitioners in the Middle East are aware of the most technologically advanced dental products and will be able to recommend the use of these products to their patients, saving time, money and unnecessary trips to the dentist.

“There will also be a corner devoted to Crest Expert Gum Protection, a new advanced toothpaste technology that shows improved product benefits that specifically addresses areas dentists care about enamel, gums and sensitivity,” says Mr Azzawe. “The toothpaste contains stannous fluoride which strengthens the enamel, in addition to reducing gum inflammation and tooth sensitivity. The formula is made novel with the addition of Sodium Hexa Meta Phosphate (SHMP) which protects teeth against staining.

“Dentistry 2009 is organised by IIR Middle East Life Sciences Division, the same organisation who brought the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress to Dubai. Oral-B associates itself with leading organisers in order to reach out to the industry professionals who attend an important meeting like this.” 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Coast Dental is now offering smile makeovers with Lumineers ultra-thin veneers to patients who want a beautiful, white smile without the pain, shots and drilling of traditional veneers. Lumineers veneers provide a great way to cosmetically correct crooked, gapped, misshapen and dull teeth in just two visits, and create smiles that are attractive and natural-looking. Lumineers veneers have been clinically proven to last 20 years. All 28 Coast Dental Atlanta practices offer competitive prices and savings on Lumineers. For details visit www.CoastDental.com/Lumineers.__

Traditional veneers require painful shots and irreversible removal of significant tooth structure, which can permanently damage teeth and cause sensitivity. “Treatment with Lumineers is virtually non-invasive. Coast Dental is excited to provide our patients with this safe option for customizing a smile that they will be proud to show off,” said Adam Diasti, D.D.S., president of Coast Dental.

The ground-breaking LUMITray technology makes completing a smile makeover fast and easy. Lumineers carries a five-year warranty. Schedule a Lumineers consultation at any Coast Dental practice in Atlanta. To locate the nearest practice call 1-888-COAST-44 or visit www.CoastDental.com/FindADentist.

Coast Dental offers patient financing with no annual fee and monthly payments starting as low as $25 for qualified patients. Coast Dental participates with over 200 dental insurance plans. Patients without dental insurance can save an average of 30 to 60 percent on most dental services by joining Coast Dental’s exclusive discount dental plan, Smile Plus(A), for a low annual fee. Contact the practice for details.

About Coast Dental

Coast Dental is the Southeast’s leading provider of dental services, with 28 affiliated offices in Georgia and 88 in Florida. Coast Dental Services, Inc. is a leading management company that provides comprehensive, non-clinical business and administrative services to its affiliated practices. The dentists are employees or independent contractors of Coast Dental of Georgia, P.C. For more information, visit www.CoastDental.com.

About Lumineers

Lumineers is the industry-leading, original ultra-thin veneer product made by Den-Mat Holdings, LLC, Santa Maria, California. Lumineers was listed as one of the Top 10 products by Dental Products Report and awarded five pluses in the Editors’ Choice Award by The Dental Advisor. For more information, call 1-800-445-0345 or visit www.Lumineers.com.

SOURCE Coast Dental Services, Inc.

Credit: Coast Dental Services, Inc.

Health insurance plans that for years offered enhanced Medicare coverage for 11 million Americans age 65 and older are under some strain.

Aetna Inc. has advised 8,500 area customers that it will terminate two of its Medicare Advantage plans at the end of this year. Independence Blue Cross has given the same notices to 44,000 individual subscribers who depend on four plans it offers.

Other insurers in other markets are also making cuts.

Meanwhile, area offices for the aging are being swamped with calls as worried senior citizens try to figure out whether their plans are affected.

“People are calling in tears,” said Kim Andrews, director of a program with the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging that helps the elderly sort out insurance options.

Both companies continue to offer other Medicare Advantage plans, and both also sell “Medigap” insurance, a supplement to Medicare.

“I’m upset, and so is my wife,” said retired banker Joe McGough, 77, of East Falls, who received a letter from Aetna earlier this month.

“We haven’t been that sick, and we’re not costing them hardly anything,” McGough said. “Maybe it has something to do with [President] Obama and all that health reform.”

Health economist Mark V. Pauly at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School had a similar assessment. “Maybe they are just trying to tidy up before the storm,” he said.

With Congress looking to Medicare savings to bankroll its plans for health reform, insurers around the country that sell Medicare Advantage plans are cutting back their offerings for 2010, saying federal reimbursements are too small.

Reimbursements for Medicare Advantage plans will be down 4 percent, the insurers said, even as medical costs for doctors and hospitals continue to increase.

“We had to take a hard look at our plans,” said Eric Cormier, general manager of Aetna’s Mid-Atlantic region and retiree markets.

Nationally, 24.2 percent of the 45.5 million people who qualify for Medicare use Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare is primarily federally funded health insurance, but its coverage has gaps.

Under Medicare Advantage programs, the government subcontracts with insurance companies to handle the paperwork, manage the care, fill in the gaps, and provide various extra services, such as drug and dental plans. The insurers also charge premiums and co-pays.

The federal government pays the insurers an average of 12 percent more than it would cost to fund plain-vanilla Medicare. Reimbursement varies by county, depending on costs.

Rural areas usually get more, and Medicare also provides reimbursements to hospitals handling caseloads of poor patients who cannot pay.

But policymakers in Washington have been looking at that extra reimbursement, seeing it as part of the way to fund increased coverage.

A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate Finance Committee bill sees $404 billion of the $829 billion 10-year price tag coming from savings in Medicare and two other programs. An earlier analysis suggested that Medicare changes would provide 10-year savings of $460.3 billion. Of that, $124.3 billion would come from changes to the Medicare Advantage plans.

In a House version of the bill, Medicare Advantage savings would amount to $172 billion over 10 years, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Pauly said Medicare Advantage plans were caught in an ideological shift. Democrats would like to see private insurers out of the Medicare business, he said. “Payments have been reduced, and they are on the chopping block going forward.”

Medicare, he said, “is both the model and the stalking horse for single-payer insurance.”

Despite the cuts, insurers want to stay in the senior-citizen market, especially in a state such as Pennsylvania, with its large elderly population.

“The demographics are there,” said Jason Feuerman, senior vice president and executive director of Bravo Health Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Bravo is a Maryland-based company that sells only Medicare Advantage plans, specializing in HMO coverage. It is expanding its local reach.

In the Philadelphia area, cuts by Independence Blue Cross affect just over a third of its 133,500 individual Medicare Advantage subscribers.

Aetna is eliminating plans covering 6,500 individuals in Philadelphia and its suburbs, or 19 percent, and 1,000 in nearby New Jersey counties, or about 12 percent.

Both insurers are eliminating plans that serve elderly subscribers poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. Aetna’s plan serves 1,000; the Independence Blue Cross plan serves 19,000.

These are the main plans to be cut: Aetna’s Medicare Golden Premier PPO plan and Independence Blue Cross’ Keystone 65 Complete, Keystone 65 Value across the region, and Personal Choice PPO 65 for subscribers in Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.

In Philadelphia and Bucks County, Independence Blue Cross’ Personal Choice PPO 65 plans will continue.

Contact staff writer Jane M. Von Bergen at 215-854-2769 or jvonbergen@phillynews.com.

Credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Duplicating services isn’t an effective way to better the community; instead, financially supporting local programs that already are working to help families and kids in Finney County is the goal of one local agency.

“We want to create opportunities for children to be healthy, and we hope the end result is that it’ll set children up for success so that when they start school, they’re better prepared to succeed,” said Rebecca Clancy, executive director of Smart Start, one of 21 local agencies receiving funding from the Finney County United Way’s annual campaign, which has a goal of raising $550,000 this year. “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel — we try to be involved in what’s going on in the community already, to bridge gaps in services that might not be getting enough funding.”

The director of the local children’s agency said Smart Start’s dollars are designed to be flexible to cater to the needs of a particular community.

The local children’s agency aims to ensure that Kansas children are healthy and prepared to succeed in school and does so by providing flexible funding to communities and organizations that maintain programs and projects that focus on early childhood health and education for children from birth to age 5.

Clancy said her agency’s receipt of funds is not only pumped back directly into local programs but also allows the educational organization that serves 12 other neighboring counties from its Garden City office to demonstrate local fiscal support so that it can acquire larger state funds.

“(The United Way’s support) helps us secure bigger grant dollars that we bring to southwest Kansas,” Clancy said. “Of course, each year these dollars are up for debate as the state government sees other shortfalls, so we work really hard to preserve those dollars so we can invest in our children here, build secure homes and have them go to school, so they can contribute to the local economy.”

Though Smart Start serves organizations in neighboring counties including Grant, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Lane, Morton, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens and Wichita, local United Way dollars are used only for programs within Finney County, Clancy said.

The agency, which is fiscally sponsored by the Russell Child Development Center, hasn’t yet identified where about $2,000 — about 2 percent of its operating budget — in United Way funding will go this year, but in past years, financial support has been directed to Lifetime Smiles, a dental program for kids operated through United Methodist Mexican-American Ministries, and Wee Readers, a story time program at the Finney County Public Library.

Clancy said she appreciates the United Way’s help to meet the special challenges the regional agency faces in this part of the state.

“We serve a larger part of the state than some of the other Smart Starts in Kansas, and many of our citizens have to overcome transportation barriers, so we’re very mobile, and we work really hard to overcome that,” Clancy said. “We also work to be helpful to non-English speaking residents, because we do have a higher population of people who don’t speak English or speak multiple other languages. We work really hard to translate materials and bridge language barriers to help families get what they need.”

Other organizations receiving United Way funding include the following partner agencies: United Methodist Mexican-American Ministries, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Finney and Kearny Counties, Community Day Care, Emmaus House, Spirit of the Plains CASA, Russell Child Development Center, Garden City Area Chapter of the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Miles of Smiles, Kansas Children’s Service League Head Start, United Cerebral Palsy of Kansas, Catholic Social Service, Family Crisis Services Inc., Meals on Wheels, Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association, Garden City Family YMCA, The Garden City Recreation Commission Playground Program, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Santa Fe Trail Council Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland.

Smart Start

Contact: Rebecca Clancy, director

Address: 714 Ballinger St.

Phone: 275-1510

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Web site: http://www.smartstartswks.org

Credit: The Garden City Telegram, Kan.

A conference to explore how the future of the American auto industry could affect United Auto Workers (UAW) patients and their physicians and dentists will be presented by the Michigan State Medical Society and the Michigan Dental Association on Thursday, Sept. 17, from Noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi.

Conference speakers will discuss the forecasted condition of the auto companies and how that forecast could affect UAW members in the VEBA as well as the physicians and dentists who provide their care.

Attendees will include physicians of all specialties, dentists, administrators, executives, and other health care professionals.

The basics of a VEBA system will be presented by employee benefits attorneys Robert Stevenson and Andrew Stumpff of the Stevenson Keppelman Association in Ann Arbor and George Kipa, M.D., Deputy Corporate Medical Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Reviewing the outlook of the auto companies will be George Magliano, Director of Automotive Research for North America at Global Insight in New York City. Suzanne Paranjpe, Ph.D., Executive Director of AEPC in Bloomfield Hills will discuss the future of Michigan’s physicians and the health care system.

“The financial status of the American auto industry and how that affects the UAW VEBA impacts thousand of our patients and the entire health care system,” said Detroit obstetrician/gynecologist Richard E. Smith, M.D., president of the 16,000 physician-member MSMS. “We need to take a serious look at the forecasts to be prepared.”

Cost is $125 for members of the Michigan State Medical Society, Michigan Dental Association and Michigan Medical Group Management Association. The cost is $175 for all others. To register, visit www.msms.org/eo or call 517-336-5785.

Keywords: Michigan State Medical Society, Automobiles, Finance, Financial, Investing, Investment, Transportation, AT&T, Automobiles, Finance, Financial, Investing, Investment, Michigan State Medical Society, Telecommunications, Transportation.

This article was prepared by Investment Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Investment Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

The North Carolina Dental Society (NCDS) has received the American Dental Association’s 2009 “Golden Apple” Award for excellence in dental health promotion to the public.

The national award is presented each year to the state dental association that most effectively improves awareness of oral health issues in its home state. The NCDS was recognized for its informational program associated with the North Carolina Missions of Mercy (NCMOM) free dental clinics held throughout North Carolina.

“This is truly a great honor for our dental society and the hundreds of members who have taken part in NCMOM programs,” said Dr. Alec Parker, executive director of the NCDS. “Since its inception in 2003, NCMOM volunteers have seen more than 23,000 needy patients and delivered $6 million in free dental care.”

The informational program produced by the NCDS’ marketing firm, Hoyt-Hamilton LLC, and producer David Salmon of BigFAT films, included TV and radio commercials, a documentary film, magazine advertising, as well as posters, flyers and other printed materials.

“Our aim,” Parker commented, “was to draw attention not just to the availability of free care through NCMOM for those in need, but to illuminate the severe dental access to care epidemic in North Carolina.”

The next scheduled NCMOM event will be held Oct. 23-24 in Dare County, N.C.

Keywords: North Carolina Dental Society, Advertising, Health Promotion, Marketing.

This article was prepared by Marketing Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Marketing Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced that it has been selected by the Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund (PEBTF) as the sole provider of Medicare Advantage PPO plans to retired state employees. Aetna will be one of three health plans providing Medicare Advantage HMO plans. The contract takes effect Jan. 1, 2010 (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Aetna.html> Aetna).

“We’re very excited to be given an opportunity to expand our participation in this program to include all Commonwealth of Pennsylvania retirees,” said Eric Cormier, head of Retiree Markets for Aetna in Pennsylvania. “We are committed to providing superior benefits and service, and we welcome the opportunity to support these retired public servants.”

Aetna will offer its Medicare Advantage PPO plans across the state, and also will provide a Medicare Advantage HMO offering to retired state employees in Southeastern Pennsylvania and select sites outside the state.

This new contract presents an exciting new government-business opportunity, said Russ Dickhart, chief operating officer for Aetna’s Government and Labor division. “Aetna is committed to serving the unique needs of workers and retirees in the government and public sectors. We appreciate the chance to do that for our new Pennsylvania Employees Benefit Trust Fund clients.”

Aetna provides health benefits to more than 1.1 million members in Pennsylvania. About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.

Keywords: Medicare and Medicaid, Health, Professional Services, Insurance, General Health, Managed Care, Insurance, HMO, Health Insurance, Health Maintenance Organizations, Health Policy, Medicare, Aetna.

This article was prepared by Nursing Home & Elder Business Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Nursing Home & Elder Business Week via <http://www.newsrx.com> NewsRx.com.