Dental Providers Benefit from Dedicated Horizon Liaisons

Published Date: May 2, 2022

In today's world of digital customer service, it's often difficult to reach a customer service representative, and this can be a problem for providers. Horizon Dental gives all of its participating dental providers a dedicated liaison, called a Network Manager, who they can contact directly for help with issues and questions. Many dental providers in Horizon Dental Networks appreciate this convenient benefit.

“It's good to have a contact person,” said Janeiry Castellanos, the office manager at Dr. Jeffrey D. Frankel's dental practice in Hackensack, NJ.

Dr. Frankel's office has been in Horizon's Dental Networks since 1981. The practice's Horizon Network Manager is Jeffrey Motto, who's been in his role with Horizon for more than two years and assists 76 Horizon Dental Choice offices in New Jersey. He has more than 15 years of experience in dental practice management, which helps him bring value to the providers in his territory.

“The providers can come to us for anything. We're always here to help them,” Motto said.

Network Managers can help address questions regarding fee schedules, copays, claims and other concerns.

“There's no problem too big or small,” Motto said. “I recently helped a practice open an electronic roster for capitation payments. I also helped them with office administrative issues, helping to alleviate their financial burden and reduce their liability with referral issues.

“A lot of insurance companies don't have a contact person, so we're left clueless. Especially now, many insurance companies' offices are short-staffed,” Castellanos said. “You get bounced around when you call customer service or leave a voicemail and don't know when they will get back to you. They're not as personable as working with someone like Jeff at Horizon. He's helpful and quick to get back to us. He even contacted us when another dental provider was retiring to see if we would want to take on more patients.”

All of Horizon's Network Managers have many years of experience in the dental industry. Bonita Haines has been a Network Manager for Horizon for 22 years and currently assists 33 Horizon Dental Choice offices in New Jersey.

“Providers value their relationships with our Network Managers and being able to reach us in addition to the customer service number,” Haines said. “Our role as a liaison is an advantage we have over other payers, and it's a plus for our providers.”

Support During Good Times and Bad

The Network Managers were an important resource to dental practices during the public health emergency as providers dealt with a drop in patient visits causing revenue loss, as well as COVID-19-related insurance adjustments.

“The last two years were challenging for both sides,” Max Sulla, DDS, said. Dr. Sulla is a pediatric dentist who owns Tender Smiles, a pediatric dentistry practice with five locations in New Jersey. “Our Horizon Network Manager, Virginia Rego, has been helpful throughout the years whenever we reached out to her. It's important to have someone to advocate for us.”

Rego has been a Network Manager with Horizon for 28 years and assists 61 Horizon Dental Choice offices in New Jersey.

“I've developed long-term business relationships with the dental community and it gives me great satisfaction to be able to support the dental offices with any inquiry they may have,” Rego said. “The doctors and office staff are very appreciative of having a dedicated representative to be a liaison between them and other departments to address any issues.”

As the leading health insurer in New Jersey and a participant in the National Dental GRID network, Horizon Dental Network gives providers access to more than 1 million members.

Dr. Sulla says the relationship with Horizon is mutually beneficial. “Now, more than ever, it's important to make sure children get dental care and establish a dental home,” he said. “Being a Horizon Dental member allows pediatric patients to find a dental home easier within the Horizon network, while it's a benefit to Horizon to have a dental specialist like us.”

“Nowadays, dental offices are dealing with many different insurance companies and trying to navigate the different guidelines and policies for each of them,” Haines said. ”They really value the fact that they have someone whom they personally know that they can reach out to with any questions or issues that will assist them in getting a resolution.”