CDBA Press Release

Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans adds two new accounts.
Direct Reimbursement signs a fourth NYRAG account.
Direct Reimbursement signs another not-for-profit group
DRDPNY expands into Connecticut
American Dental Association, member dentists sue health insurers



   

For Immediate Release
Contact: Marty Cohen(516)349-1890 (tel) | (516)349-1891 (fax)

FaxDirect Reimbursement Dental Plans adds two new accounts. Plainview, NY—November 1, 2002

Robert Rosen, President of Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, announced today the addition of two new companies with Direct Reimbursement. The Commonwealth Fund and Preferred Freezer Services, Inc. are the newest companies to adopt the “DR” concept.

The Commonwealth fund, in New York City, is a private foundation that supports independent research on health and social issues and makes grants to improve healthcare practice and policy. The Fund employs 54 people.

Preferred Freezer Services, Inc. ,with headquarters in New Jersey, is a leader in the cold storage warehousing industry. With facilities in New Jersey, Boston, Miami and Los Angeles, Preferred has experienced rapid growth and is the leading refrigerated warehouse company in each of its markets. Preferred employs over 260 people.

The Plan
Direct Reimbursement (DR) is a cost-efficient, self-funded benefit plan that reimburses an employee for all dental care expenses. Each employer determines the reimbursement formula for expenses incurred. The employee is reimbursed from a fund established by the employer using employer and/or employee contributions that otherwise would have been sent to an insurance company.

The plan is designed to encourage periodic visits for preventive care using the employee’s own dentist. Deductibles and exclusions are eliminated to enable the patient to receive the most appropriate care.

Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. is located at 88 Sunnyside Blvd., Suite 203, Plainview, NY 11803.
telephone (516) 349-1890, fax (516) 349-1891.

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For Immediate Release
Contact: Marty Cohen
(516)349-1890 (tel) | (516)349-1891 (fax)

FaxDirect Reimbursement signs a fourth NYRAG account.
Plainview, NY—February 13, 2003

Robert Rosen, President of Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, announced today that a fourth member of NYRAG (New York Regional Association of Grantmakers) has signed on to a Direct Reimbursement dental plan.

The Beldon Fund has set a March 1st start date and will be joining The Commonwealth Fund, The Wenner-Gren Foundation and The Jewish Fund for Justice as members of NYRAG who will be utilizing the services of Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. to implement a DR plan.

The Plan
Direct Reimbursement (DR) is a cost-efficient, self-funded benefit plan that reimburses an employee for all dental care expenses. Each employer determines the reimbursement formula for expenses incurred. The employee is reimbursed from a fund established by the employer using employer and/or employee contributions that otherwise would have been sent to an insurance company.
The plan is designed to encourage periodic visits for preventive care using the employee’s own dentist. Deductibles and exclusions are eliminated to enable the patient to receive the most appropriate care.

Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. is located at 88 Sunnyside Blvd., Suite 203, Plainview, NY 11803.
telephone (516) 349-1890, fax (516) 349-1891.


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For Immediate Release
Contact: Marty Cohen
(516)349-1890 (tel) | (516)349-1891 (fax)

Direct Reimbursement signs another not-for-profit group
Plainview, NY—February 13, 2003

Robert Rosen, President of Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, announced today that another not-for-profit has signed on to a Direct Reimbursement dental plan.
The Beldon Fund has set a March 1st start date and will be joining The Commonwealth Fund, The Wenner-Gren Foundation, The Jewish Fund for Justice, Catalyst and South Bronx Mental Health Council as well as numerous other not-for-profit groups who utilize the services of Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc.

The Plan
Direct Reimbursement (DR) is a cost-efficient, self-funded benefit plan that reimburses an employee for all dental care expenses. Each employer determines the reimbursement formula for expenses incurred. The employee is reimbursed from a fund established by the employer using employer and/or employee contributions that otherwise would have been sent to an insurance company.
The plan is designed to encourage periodic visits for preventive care using the employee’s own dentist. Deductibles and exclusions are eliminated to enable the patient to receive the most appropriate care.

Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. is located at 88 Sunnyside Blvd., Suite 203, Plainview, NY 11803.
telephone (516) 349-1890, fax (516) 349-1891.


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For Immediate Release

Contact:Robert Rosen, President
(516)349-1890 (tel) | (516)349-1891 (fax)


DRDPNY expands into Connecticut
Plainview, NY—June 10, 2003-

Robert Rosen, President of Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, announced today that his company, Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. will be handling the leads generated in Connecticut by the ADA lead program. DRDPNY currently handles the ADA leads generated in eastern New York State from the Canadien border to Montauk, as well as northern New Jersey.
“With the continued success of DR spreading around the country,” Mr. Rosen said, “It is important to include Connecticut and its large business community in promoting the benefits of DR.”

The Plan
Direct Reimbursement (DR) is a cost-efficient, self-funded benefit plan that reimburses an employee for all dental care expenses based on dollars spent at the dental office. Each employer determines the reimbursement formula for expenses incurred. The employee is reimbursed from a fund established by the employer using employer and/or employee contributions that otherwise would have been sent to an insurance company.
DRDPNY is a Third Party Administrator specializing in Direct Reimbursement plans.

Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. is located at 88 Sunnyside Blvd., Suite 203, Plainview, NY 11803.
telephone (516) 349-1890, fax (516) 349-1891.


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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Robert Rosen
(516)349-1890 (tel) | (516)349-1891 (fax)

AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION, MEMBER DENTISTS SUE HEALTH INSURERS UNDER RACKETEERING ACT, CITING INSURANCE ABUSE AGAINST DENTISTS
CHICAGO, May 20, 2003 /PRNewswire/

The American Dental Association (ADA) and two of its member dentists are suing some of the nation's largest insurers under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) and supporting state laws for insurance abuses against dentists contracted under the insurers' managed-care plans.
Defendants named in the lawsuit are CIGNA Corporation, CIGNA Dental Health, Inc.; MetLife, Inc.; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Connecticut General Life Insurance Company; and Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company.

The class-action lawsuit, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida in Miami, charges the defendants with illegally paying their in-network dental providers less than their charges for provided dental services and with late payments in states with prompt-pay statutes. Specific charges in the complaint include the defendants' secret use of cost-based or other actuarial criteria unrelated to a covered procedure or service to approve or deny claims.

The defendants also are charged with downcoding (changing the procedure code to a less expensive code) and bundling (combining codes of two or more performed procedures into one billed procedure) to deprive plaintiffs of fees owed to them for covered services.

Further, they allegedly intentionally engaged in delaying payments to dentists, including the use of automated programs that suspend claims before actual processing and used their economic power and market dominance to coerce plaintiffs to accept these abusive practices and to unilaterally amend contracts with dental providers.

The complaint also alleges the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to undertake these abuses with third parties, including other managed care and dental insurance companies, trade organizations and vendors.

"We are disturbed by these practices and intend to pursue vigorously all of our legal remedies for the benefit of our members and their patients,” said ADA President T. Howard Jones, D.M.D.

The plaintiffs seek an injunction to prohibit the insurers from continuing to engage in the alleged abusive behaviors and awarding of compensatory and punitive damages.
"The conduct that we have found with reference to the defendants in this lawsuit is pervasive, unfair to patients and the profession, and, I believe, illegal" said Peter Sfikas, ADA chief counsel. "These are matters that should be brought to the attention of the federal courts and rectified there.”

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's oldest national dental association, representing more than 147,000 members. It advocates for the public's health and promotes the art and science of dentistry.

Direct Reimbursement Dental Plans of NY, Inc. is located at 88 Sunnyside Blvd., Suite 203, Plainview, NY 11803.
telephone (516) 349-1890, fax (516) 349-1891.


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