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Producer Connection is The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York's quarterly online newsletter for Employee Benefits producers.
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what you think of Producer Connection and how we can make it better.
Determining dental network size can be confusing because different companies use different counting methods. So, how do dental carriers count the number of providers in their networks, and when should you focus on the different numbers?
This represents the number of individual dentists in a network. Each dentist is counted only once. When comparing networks, look at this number first to get the most accurate tally of how many dentists participate in the network and determine whether there are enough to serve your client's employees.
This indicates the number of dental office facilities in a network. Pay special attention to this number if your employees live in a condensed area so you can be sure there are enough facilities nearby. If a dentist works at several locations, make sure the facility in your area has office hours that will work for your client’s employees.
This represents the number of network dentists at each office location where they actually treat patients. A network dentist who treats patients at two offices constitutes two access points. This is the third number you should consider when evaluating carriers' dental networks, as it gives an accurate picture of how many doctors are available at a location. Just remember to ask how often each doctor works at the facilities that your client's employees will use most.
Some carriers may express their network size in terms of "provider locations" or other similar terms. These numbers should raise a red flag for you because they usually count each network dentist and each office location, regardless of whether a doctor actually treats patients at a given location.
Ask carriers to give separate numbers for providers, locations and access points when they send you a dental quote. That will avoid any confusion about which carrier really has the bigger network and will allow you to make the best recommendation to your client.