If asked to name a dental insurer, Northeast Delta Dental is "top of mind." When asked to identify a highly regarded employer, Northeast Delta Dental heads the list. And when asked to single out a community-spirited corporate citizen, Northeast Delta Dental is a leading candidate. This achievement is not coincidental. The leadership at Northeast Delta Dental, with foresight and resolve, has charted a course to be the "premier dental benefits provider" and recognizes that such a lofty goal requires superior benefits products, dedicated talent, adherence to best practices and core values, and strong commitment to the dental, business and charitable communities.
Fundamental to Northeast Delta Dental's success is maintaining equilibrium of the "Delta triangle" composed of dentists, purchasers and subscribers. This requires a delicate balance of fairly reimbursing dentists, controlling group rates for employers and offering quality, affordable benefit plans to promote good oral health for patients. Northeast Delta Dental meets this challenge every day. As evidence, it maintains the largest network of dental professionals in northern New England, it retains over 95% of its business yearly and it covers more subscribers than any other carrier in northern New England.
The core values of communication, teamwork, quality and integrity guide the practices, actions and decisions of Northeast Delta Dental and all of its employees. Northeast Delta Dental credits these commonly-shared values for consistently directing its performance toward corporate mission, vision, and long-range and short-range goals that are central to its strategic plan. Purposeful corporate values and continued success contributed to Business NH Magazine recognizing Northeast Delta Dental as its first two-time winner of the Business of the Year award. Similarly, the company has been recognized by the Granite State Quality Council for its commitment to Baldrige-based quality initiatives and by the Better Business Bureau of New Hampshire for its integrity and business ethics.
Northeast Delta Dental is widely recognized as an employer that engages with, and listens to, its employees, promotes individual development and opportunities both in and out of the office, and is innovative in its reward systems and working environment. On numerous occasions, it has been recognized locally and nationally as a best company for which to work and for committing to best benefits and family-friendly practices. Most recently, Northeast Delta Dental won the "Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award" for New Hampshire non-profit organizations. The company boasts a very low turnover rate, which helps to control human resource costs and to ensure consistent high quality customer service for participating dentists, employers and subscribers.
Northeast Delta Dental embraces the obligation to give back to the communities in which it operates. The company regularly supports and partners with other non-profit organizations to sponsor events raising funds to serve those who are less fortunate. Employees are encouraged to follow CEO Tom Raffio's lead and serve a wide array of charitable organizations as board members or volunteers. Some have chosen to serve on state or municipal boards. Northeast Delta Dental fulfills its oral health mission-sensitive philanthropy through the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation. Through grants, the Foundation utilizes its resources to support oral health initiatives throughout northern New England.
Recognizing the dynamic health care environment, Northeast Delta Dental has consistently undertaken initiatives to meet the needs of the marketplace with flexible and competitive offerings. In addition to providing numerous benefits options for employers, including unique plan designs and its Guarantee Of Service ExcellenceSM program, Northeast Delta Dental established an affiliated third-party administrator, New England Dental Administrators, to more broadly offer access to dental benefits through self-funded plans in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, plus Massachusetts. When health savings accounts (HSAs) became a component of the health insurance industry, the company supported providers of HSAs with dental benefits. With no additional cost, the company offered its dental groups a vision discount program through EyeMed Vision Care.
Most recently, and in response to market demand for coordinated benefits, Northeast Delta Dental and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care have collaborated to offer a "total health" solution for fully insured groups in New Hampshire and Maine. While each of the companies handles their respective lines of business behind the scenes with the top quality service for which each is recognized, employers experience increased administrative ease through coordinated rate quotes, enrollment and billing, with reduced premium cost.
It is self-evident that Northeast Delta Dental has developed a clear vision for the company -- a vision that is embraced and implemented by its employees and which consistently drives its innovation, partnerships and success. And next month, Northeast Delta Dental will literally bring vision to employers and subscribers. As part of its diversification strategy and to leverage is core competencies of claims administration and customer service, the company will offer fully insured group vision insurance products known as DeltaVision® through its wholly-owned affiliate, Red Tree Insurance Company, in partnership with EyeMed Vision Care. In this economy of survival and contraction, guided by its vision and values, Northeast Delta Dental has continued to innovate, serve and grow as demonstrated by the DeltaVision® initiative and the collaboration with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
Northeast Delta Dental is a true leader in health care benefits, business ideals and philanthropy. Thank you Northeast Delta Dental for offering outstanding and affordable health plans, for leading the way with best business practices and for generously engaging with our communities. Thank you for sharing your vision.
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