EDI Health Group, Inc., (EHG), a provider of enhanced connectivity, streamlined technology and transaction solutions for patients, payers and providers in the dental industry, hosted its first "United Nations of Providers and Payers" on August 27, 2009. This event brought together representatives from many of the nation's largest dental groups and selected payers to discuss needed improvements in operational efficiencies and quality of transaction services between the organizations.
Many of the dental industry's largest payers, which included the Delta Dental Plans Association, Guardian Life and Health, United Healthcare, Cigna, Delta Dental of California, and Ameritas, joined QSI, a practice management vendor representing 2,000 locations, and multiple group dental practices representing 1,208 locations and 2,420 providers in the daylong summit. This unprecedented gathering engaged the groups in discussions on how the payers and providers could work together to immediately implement changes to improve the efficiency of the billing process, guarantee an ROI for the payer and enhance utilization by the provider groups. As a result of the discussions, payers including Guardian, United Healthcare, and Delta Dental of California pledged to incorporate changes into their eligibility and benefit transactions which would immediately increase the value of their EDI transactions, potentially saving millions of dollars in annual costs for all involved parties.