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[By Darrell K. Pruitt; DDS
]
Dear Editor,
This is a sincere letter which I am sure you will agree should be published in the October 2009 edition of the JADA. Today is July 19, 2009. I am allowing for the six weeks minimum time it requires for letters to appear in print following their selection for publication. It will be posted on the Internet immediately. In spite of this, I trust you will eventually agree to publish it in spite of your archaic rules. Otherwise, by November, history could show that the editor of the JADA arguably denied representation of dental patients’ interests at a most critical time in the history of the profession. That would be regrettable for your own professional reputation as well as for the JADA’s. As an ADA member, if my concerns are ignored, I will hold you publicly accountable for an explanation for a long time.
Public Laundry
From now on, we will agree to wash our laundry in public because otherwise it doesn’t always come clean. You can call the pressure I bring unprofessional if you want, but following the ADA News’ public exhibition of their shoddy ethics this week, it would be foolish to use my methods as an excuse to deny my access to membership. As I am certain you are aware, there were three revisions of “ADA/idm to phase out service” on ADA News Online (7/10, 7/13 and 7/16). I not only welcome a wide-open public discussion about ethics in journalism with representatives of the JADA, but I encourage it. We both know that the ADA needs clean laundry now more than ever before in its history.
ADA Business Enterprises, Inc.
For members who haven’t heard, the 2 ½ year old joint venture of our ADA Business Enterprises, Inc. (ADABEI) with Intelligent Dental Marketing – a Utah-based private business – fell apart in late spring of this year. Months later, our ADA leaders are still less than transparent with membership about what went wrong. I’ve been in business long enough to know that if mistakes by employees are not revealed and discussed, they are bound to happen again and again. And, it’s not like the leaders of the ADA were not warned. They just didn’t take heed. By late 2007, many knowledgeable people involved in the dental industry easily recognized the faults in the partnership between our non-profit professional organization and a for-profit Utah advertising company. In hindsight, anyone can see that ADA/IDM’s slogan, “Image is everything,” clearly betrays an attitude inconsistent with both the mission of the ADA and the Hippocratic Oath. Nevertheless, even the spirit of the slogan was regretfully adopted by the leaders of the ADA’s Business Enterprises, Inc. Now it is the image of the entire ADA that is suffering the damage.
ADABEI
I personally began questioning the accountability of the tricky ADA/IDM business model over two years ago when the profits from ADABEI had officials excited about avoiding the need to raise membership dues last year. Not unexpectedly, in the atmosphere of euphoria, nobody in Chicago wanted to acknowledge the concerns of a handful of alert members. We were cast aside as troublemakers. So how critical is the risk? With massive, unprecedented health care legislation imminent, this is the worst time imaginable for our stoic, image-conscious officers to lead us to nation-wide embarrassment.
Following the Money
The surrender to such temptations for leaders of non-profit organizations is not unprecedented. Do you know why the dues for the American Association of Retired People (AARP) have been kept so low? Not unlike the ADA, the non-profit AARP reaps profits from insurance policies and other products that its leaders sell to membership – even using misleading ads in AARP dues-supported publications. However, unlike dues money, vendor “kickbacks” don’t depend on accountability to members. A few years ago, the profits derived from agreements with vendors predictably became the lifeblood for AARP’s self-perpetuating bureaucracy – eventually influencing their lobbying efforts. Since non-profits like the AARP and the ADA are traditionally respected by lawmakers who like huge campaign donations, a non-profit entity’s lobbyists can be tempted to quietly represent vendors’ interests at members’ expense. Sometimes they get caught.
Lost Confidence
Almost a year ago, the AARP lost valuable member confidence when the organization was forced to suspend sales of “limited benefit” health plans backed by UnitedHealth Group (of Ingenix fame). Sen. Chuck Grassley said the plans which leave policyholders vulnerable to tens of thousands of dollars in costs were sold by the AARP to naïve and trusting members using misleading marketing tricks – not unlike those used in the ADA’s promotion of ADA/IDM. Sen. Grassley sent a detailed letter to CEO Bill Novelli demanding answers to questions about health insurance plans promoted to over a million dues-paying AARP members. Grassley told USA Today reporter Julie Appleby that “Insurance is supposed to limit your exposure to the potentially high cost of a serious illness and these plans do the opposite.” (Nov 7 2008).
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-11-07-aarp-insurance_N.htm
Is AARP-level accountability as good as it gets?
I say no. Attention ADA members – It is my opinion that our leaders are losing the control of our professional organization. The recent failure of ADA/IDM isn’t the first glaring sign of trouble in Headquarters. Over a year ago, the executive director, Dr. James Bramson, was suddenly fired with no explanation. In fact, then President Dr. Mark Feldman commanded that the reasons for the firing will not be disclosed. Obediently, ADA leaders have so far maintained firm control of the top secret information which if released could somehow endanger dental patients (?). Because Bramson’s severance pay came from my dues and not out of Dr. Feldman’s pocket, I think I deserve to know more details. Otherwise, this mistake could happen again and again.
The ADA/IDM disaster is also not the only ADABEI embarrassment I see on the horizon. It is my opinion that CareCredit is also showing signs of silent desperation. On July 9, the officials of the wholly-owned ADA subsidiary purchased an ad on dentalblogs.com titled “Press Release: CareCredit Adds 24-Month, No-Interest [sic] Payment Plan” (no byline).
http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator/press-release-carecredit-adds-24-month-no-interst-payment-plan/
Even though I approve of the benevolence in the idea of extending credit to those with worsening dental problems – especially during these hard financial times for patients – the anonymous CareCredit (ADA) representative who posted the ad failed to respond to my timely and important question: “If the Red Flags Rule is not delayed for the third time in three weeks, how will it affect those who offer Care Credit?”
Assessment
Nor did he or she respond to my follow up response on July 13. “On July 9 at 4:54 pm, I submitted a sincere question concerning how the Red Flags Rules will affect ADA members who sign up for CareCredit. Instead of posting it with the promise of an answer, you regretfully chose to censor an ADA member. Today, July 13, I have a second and third question: Why did you ignore my first one and who is your boss?”
Conclusion
So far, I’m still waiting for responses to all three questions. I trust you will treat my concerns with more respect, Editor.
Conclusion
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Filed under: Breaking News, Career Development, Ethics, Health Insurance, Managed Care, Op-Editorials, Pruitt's Platform, Research & Development | Tagged: AARP, ADA, ADA Business Enterprises, ADA News, ADA News Online, ADA/IDM, ADABEI, American Association of Retired People, American Dental Association, Bill Novelli, CareCredit, Chuck Grassley, Darell Pruitt, DDS, denturist, DMD, Dr. James Bramson, Dr. Mark Feldman, Hippocratic Oath, Inc., Ingenix, Intelligent Dental Marketing, JADA, Journal American Dental Association, Julie Appleby, LD, red flags, red flags dentistry, UHG, UnitedHealth Group, USA Today |
The Leading Business Education Network for Doctors, Financial Advisors and Health Industry Consultants 
I have a correction in my Letter to the JADA. I mistakenly thought that CareCredit was a “wholly-owned subsidiary” of the ADA. I was wrong. CareCredit is owned by GE, not the ADA. It is the ADABEI that is wholly-owned by the ADA. I misinterpreted these facts in the DentalBlogs.com article, “Press Release: CareCredit Adds 24-Month, No-Interst [sic] Payment Plan” (no byline).
In my defense, the ADA was mentioned 9 times, while the true owner of CareCredit, GE, was not mentioned once.
In addition, Cindy Hearn, who was quoted in the article, could have been more helpful in preventing this error. She signed her name “Cindy Hearn, Senior Vice President, CareCredit” in this article that was dominated by the ADA. Everywhere else though, she signs her title “Senior Vice President, CareCredit/GE.”
Why did the vice president of marketing for CareCredit/GE decide it was important to allow readers to assume that the ADA is in control of CareCredit, when they might have found the truth more reassuring? Isn’t Ms. Hearn aware of the tragic tale of ADABEI and ADA/IDM? I think history has recently shown America’s executive headhunters that one’s chances of finding sharp business minds are far better in the halls of GE than in ADA Headquarters.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Oh, the American Dental Association is getting its behind chewed?
It sounds like things are catching up with ADA’s bad business policies. It’s nice to see others coming out against the American Dental Association unethical business tactics. Accountability is long overdue.
The ADA has put in place a PR campaign to boost it public image while at the same time the ADA’s leadership continues to express liberal waste and corporate greed over provisions of affordable dental services to those people most in need. ADA’s policies discriminate against the economically disadvantaged Americans by their corporate power of stopping and discouraging competition.
What right does the ADA have to muscle out competition? Does the American Dental Association get Federal money and grants? Is the American Dental Association really concerned about the American people’s dental needs? Why does the ADA waste so much time and money persecuting denturist to keep them from providing affordable denture care services to people in need? What about the money ADA wasted fighting dental health aide therapist in Alaska? What about the money the American Dental Association wastes each year fighting independent practices keeping dental hygienists from better serving the children and adults with preventive dentistry being more accessible and affordable?
Denturists, across America are trying to provide affordable denture care service to the people that are economically disadvantaged but instead we are forced to use our resources to defend our education and our right to serve. Here in the U.S., the American Dental Association does everything it can to suppress the denturist profession across the nation, with ADA’s monopolistic grip on dentures and their inflated pricing, leaving the edentulous, denture-less.
Denturists, dental health aide therapists and independent practices of dental hygienists are harassed and discriminated against by the American Dental Association. The answer to healthcare economics, shortages, and quality care is MORE COMPETITION. We need independent practices and more college programs for dental hygienists, denturists and dental health aide therapists. The American Dental Association could better spend its money on establishing accredited colleges and programs for the above listed professions so more segments of our society can receive affordable needed dental services.
Gary W. Vollan, L.D.
[Coordinator for the Wyoming State Denturist Association]
Click to access Denturist%20and%20Oral%20Healthcare-final.pdf
*Gary W. Vollan is a graduate of the US Navy Dental Technician “A” School in 1971, and a two year dental technician school at Seattle Central Community College in 1980. He graduated from The Oregon Denturist College in 1992 and the IDEC Denturist Program at George Brown College in 2003, in Toronto. He was licensed as an Oregon State Denturist after taking the state board in 1992 and has maintained that license with CE requirements. Gary is a student at the University of Wyoming and works at a dental clinic as a dental assistant and denture laboratory technician.”
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Dear DentalBlogs.com:
I want to thank you for posting my comment yesterday only a short time after I submitted it. I’ll start treating you with more respect now that it appears you understand that you are no longer in control. If one is anonymous, control is only an illusion. Invest something for once.
I’m certain that to some readers, it sounds incredibly grandiose on my part to suggest that recently I have begun to influence your decisions on what to post on behalf of your advertisers. But Nancy, you and I know differently. I know that you don’t ever want to be trapped like that again. And if your articles can withstand transparency, they’ll be more likely to attract my attention for their quality, and DentalBlogs.com features excellent unbiased articles, rather than their deception.
I noticed today’s article you posted titled, “DentalBlogs Named in Top 50 Dental Career Blogs” (no byline).
http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator/dentalblogs-named-in-top-50-dental-career-blogs/
Congratulations.
Now, you still have some of my comments to post, don’t you?
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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The problem with the image of Dentistry as a whole is that the profession has a worldwide reputation for being focused on it’s income and placing servicing the oral health needs of the people as an incidental byproduct of the business of dentistry.
To reverse that well-entrenched reputation Dentistry will need to refocus on patient-centered oral health services. That would include allowing competition and giving the patient the luxury of freedom of choice. There is supposed to be an Oral Health Team. All members of that Team should be recognized to have an important role and intrinsic value. Dental therapists, Oral hygienists and Denturists all have valuable contributions to make to improve the oral health of entire populations by expanding accessibility and affordability of dentistry as a discipline.
Duffy Malherbe; Reg DT
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