You're welcome to use the Delta Dental logo to promote your practice - here's how:

• Contact your Professional Relations Representative and ask for them to send you the Delta Dental logo.
• Use the Delta Dental logo on your website or other materials to promote that you are a Delta Dental dentist. (Follow the size and spacing guidelines when using the logo.)
• Send your Professional Relations Representative a link or an example of how you're using the logo for approval.

You can view the logo size and spacing guidelines flyer by accessing your dentist toolkit in your online dentist account.

UPDATES

Benefits by procedure code -

When looking up patient benefits by procedure code, you will now be able to see the patient's coinsurance benefit percentage for all three network participation levels - PPO, Premier (Par), and non-participating (NonPar). Our goal is to provide transparency in benefit levels.

Benefit Rundown -

Your patient's coinsurance benefit percentages for all three network participation levels have also been added to the Benefit Rundown portion of the Provider Toolkit.

In addition we've added a new link so you can easily access the same patient's Group Benefits, Dates of Service and Accumulators from the Benefit Rundown page without reentering the patient's member ID number. Simply click the "Group Benefits, Dates of Service and Accumulators" link.

ANSWERS

What does "Paid as PPO?" mean?

When looking at your Patient's Group Benefits, Dates of Service and Accumulators in the Provider Toolkit, "Patient Benefits", you'll notice a line that says "Paid as PPO?". This will tell you if the payment is made using the Delta Dental PPO fee schedule or the Premier Maximum Plan Allowance (MPA).

Yes = PPO Fee Schedule

No = Premier MPA

Are you registered for an online dentist account?

It's an easy and quick way to look up your Delta Dental patient benefits, access forms and other important information.

Register for your dentist account here.

The Kansas Dental Board (KDB) explains dental recordkeeping requirements in one of their recent newsletters.

71-1-15. Dental recordkeeping requirements. For the purposes of K.S.A. 65-1436.

Click here to read the KDB’s Newsletter on Recordkeeping.

Most dental plans include verbiage limiting payment to the least expensive professionally acceptable treatment, also referred to as LEPAT or LEAT.

Example: A patient has missing teeth on both sides of the same arch. The treatment plan may be a fixed bridge or implants, but because the teeth are missing bilaterally, the benefit is limited by the dental plan contract to a metal frame partial denture (the LEPAT). The patient would be responsible for any difference in cost from the allowance for the LEPAT and the chosen treatment.

The dental plan does not dictate treatment. You and your patient should choose the treatment that best fits your patient's needs and budget. Predetermination of benefits are recommended to avoid any confusion or financial surprises.

What is Tricare?

The Tricare Retiree Dental Program is a dental program for military retirees that will be ending at the end of this year. It has been administered by Delta Dental in California for 20 years. Some of your patients may be in this dental program.

What is changing for my Tricare Patients?

In order for Military retirees to have access to vision insurance as well as dental insurance, the Tricare Retiree Dental Program is ending, and instead military retirees will be able to enroll with the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). Through this program, military retirees can still sign up with Delta Dental (administered by Delta Dental in California), but can also choose from 5 other dental plan options, and 4 vision plan options.

If a patient enrolled in Tricare has questions, how can I help them?

If you have a patient currently enrolled in the Tricare Retiree dental program, they must enroll in a FEDVIP dental plan during open enrollment in order to continue their dental benefits. Their open enrollment period for FEDVIP plans is November 12 – December 10, 2018, with the coverage beginning January 1, 2019.

Click here for more helpful information on the dental plan transition for your Tricare patients.

Here's how:

Delta Dental of Kansas participating dentist donates to an approved organization within the 2018 calendar year. Eligible organizations include any non-profit charitable health care, education, civic or cultural organization provided it is located in Kansas and recognized as a tax exempt organization by the IRS under Section 501(c)(3).

To apply for the matching gift, download and submit a completed 2018 Delta Dental of Kansas Matching Gift Application, including your donation tax receipt to Delta Dental of Kansas Community Benefit Department by:

Email:

corpcomm@deltadentalks.com

Mail:

Delta Dental of Kansas

Attn: Community Benefit

1619 N Waterfront Parkway

P.O. Box 789769

Wichita, KS 67278-9769

Fax:

316-462-3372

Learn more here. 

Effective July 9, 2018, Delta Dental of Kansas (DDKS) no longer accepts phone inquiries from third party solutions such as Medusind, VSNL America, E-clinical Works, etc. that initiate calls to obtain benefits and eligibility information on behalf of dental offices.

Why?

Per HIPAA, the Privacy Rule generally requires covered entities to take reasonable steps to limit the use or disclosure of, and requests for, Protected Health Information to the minimum necessary to accomplish the intended purpose. Some of these services request benefits for multiple patients, multiple codes, run downs plus complete claims history, which we believe may not meet the minimum necessary requirement under the Privacy Rule.

In addition, it appears that some of these entities are not accredited with the Better Business Bureau and cannot be adequately verified.

Alternate ways to access patient information:

You can access benefits, eligibility and claims status by logging in to your dentist account. Your Professional Relations Representative will be happy to provide web training as necessary to any dental office staff as needed. You can also use DDKS Fax Back to obtain this information: 877-329-3357.

Help us recognize great work! The Professional Relations team rewards Customer Service team members who have provided dental offices with excellent customer service through the Happy Office Acknowledgment Program.

We are requesting that you tell us when you have had a great customer service experience with Delta Dental of Kansas. Please send an email to pr@deltadentalks.com with: the name of the helpful Customer Service team member, the date and time of your call, your name and dentist name.

There was an update to the procedure code D4355 made by the ADA CDT Coding Committee on January 1, 2018 that is still causing some questions.

Visit the Kansas Dental Board's (KDB) Dental Hygiene FAQs on this topic.

Our Policy and Employer Contracts state that a fee for the replacement of amalgam or composite restorations on the same tooth and same surface(s) is disallowed if done by the same dentist/dental office within 24 months of the initial restoration. This means we will benefit each surface of a tooth only once every two years, even if the second restoration is in a different location on a previously paid surface (with the exception of the upper first molars due to the transverse line).

However, we know that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances that exist, such as trauma, poor oral hygiene or patient neglect. In these cases, if we are notified, the replacement fee would not be disallowed; instead it would be denied as the responsibility of the patient. If this is the case, we suggest that you educate your patient on the reasons for filling replacements and document these conversations in your treatment notes. It is also a good idea to obtain your patient's signature signaling that they understand your fee and why they may be responsible for the replacement costs.

Your treatment notes that include the documentation describing the extenuating circumstances are helpful to us when making our determination.