If you were covered at any time from March 15, 19914 through November 18, 2009 by medical or dental insurance with United HealthCare Corporation (now known as UnitedHealth Group), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, American Airlines, Inc. and their subsidiaries and affiliates, you may have been contacted with a Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action and final Settlement Hearing. These insurance companies were accused by a host of organizations including the American Medical Association and the Civil Service Employees Association of providing insufficient reimbursement by using flawed databases to determine reimbursement amounts and by using internal policies to reduce reimbursement and of inadequately disclosing these methods.

JFK Dental Care has been notified that the involved companies have proposed a settlement rather than have the case go further in the court system. The courts must approve their proposal which includes a cash settlement fund in the amount of $350,000,000 plus accrued interest. That’s right, these companies have set aside over $350 million to pay affected providers and subscribers. They have also agreed to stop using the flawed Ingenix database and to contribute $50 million toward funding and implementing a new database. Wow! Isn’t it nice to have so much extra cash?

If you were covered by any of these companies and have NOT received a notice, you can review and get more information about the suit at www.unitedUCRsettlement.com or www.berdonclaims.com. If you are one of our patients and need help understanding what your options are, you can call Dianne Harper Dubin at our 800 number and press 4. She can explain the settlement to you.

Local Center City Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Barry Dubin, announces a new Patient-Centered staffing model at his practice at 1829 JFK Blvd. If you are one of our current patients, you will notice a difference in the staff that you see. The old staffing model and that used by most other dental practices assigns staff to specific tasks that need to be done within the practice: A “Receptionist” answers the phone; a “Scheduler” makes your appointments; a “Finance Manager” takes your payments; a “Dental Assistant” helps the dentist; and a “hygienist” cleans your teeth and takes care of your gums. In this old model, everything revolves around the office and the jobs that need to be done for the practice. This is obviously a PRACTICE centered model, and you – the patient – may see 6 or 7 different people in one visit and totally different people on your next visit. With so many hands in the “pot”, its easy for details to get lost and communication to get confused. Patients sometimes feel they are hearing something completely different from each person they see and it doesn’t all add up. It is easy in this model for the patient to get lost when the staff is so busy working with so many people.

Dr. Barry Dubin of JFK Dental Care realized that using a “PATIENT centered model that uses the same “team” of staff members to work with the same patient each time s/he comes in would be much better. We now have Treatment Coordinators (the old assistants”) who are assigned their own treatment room. Patients will normally always be seen in the same room with the same Coordinator and the same doctor. In addition to the Doctor and Treatment Coordinator, each patient will also have an Administrative Coordinator who will always handle all payments, insurance, and other administrative tasks for them. Patients can expect a higher lever of customer service because they will have their own dedicated team that will work with them to take care of all their needs.

Please let us know how this new model is working for you. We’re very excited by it and looking forward to providing you with even better care and superior customer service.

Dr. Dubin, our dedicated Center City dentist, is considering the deadly statistic on oral cancer- which is ONE American dies every hour. Scary huh? Most people are very suprised to learn lives are lost to a disease that is totally curable when caught early.

Are you at risk for oral cancer? Virtually EVERYONE is. Solution…get tested!

Did you know the death rate in United States for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney or ovary? More than 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years, only 57% will still be alive. Here’s the really scary part, 25% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco or alcohol and have no other lifestyle risk factors.
We offer a simple test called Vizilite Plus, this technology improves Dr. Dubin’s ability to mark and evaluate suspicious areas at their earliest stages, before they can progress to something far more serious, and potentially life-threatening.

Throughout the month of January, the National Cancer Prevention Month, we have been educating our patients endlessly about this horrible disease and encouraging them to schedule a Vizilite screening. A few minutes once a year, is worth it for a healthier life!
For every paid Vizilite Plus exam, JFK Dental Care will donate $10 to The Oral Cancer Foundation. This foundation is a non-profit public service charity designed to raise awareness abour oral cancer. They also offer free health screenings to varies cities and organize cancer walks, in which Philly will have theirs in April. We will keep you posted!
Our office is holding a Vizilite Day on January 30th from 8:30am to 1:00pm. You’ll receive free head and neck exam, and when you bring in a family member or a friend, he/she will receive free oral cancer screening. So give the gift that says I LOVE YOU!

Our patients are getting ready for summer by coming in for their annual check-up and regular preventative care. We have even had visitors from out of state schedule appointments with Dr. Dubin and JFK Dental Care. “They couldn’t have done anything better, and your customer service is excellent!” (E.K. 06/11/08). We are so pleased that each and everyone one of you are taking you oral health seriously. During your recare appointments, our hygienist, Ruth, does an amazing job cleaning your teeth, providing an oral cancer screening (Vizilite), and checking for any restorative treatment needed. She wants to make sure your summer is full of fun and your smiling every day! We are so glad that each of us at JFK Dental Care can make your summer a healthy one.