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2023 Annual Report

Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana
 

Calm. Consistent. Confident.

Chief Executive Officer

Through calm, consistent and confident leadership, Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana delivered another solid year of achievement across the three pillars of our strategic plan: grow, attract and retain, and innovate.
From the
The core values of
Delta Dental are unwavering.

This focus on mission continues to push the importance of oral health to our members and has allowed for the continued growth of our business.

Whether through the growth of our Medicaid partnership, which brought affordable oral health care to more families, team efforts to ensure passage of legislation in Michigan requiring oral health screenings for incoming school children, or the growth of membership in our commercial lines—staying true to our core provided a year of great performance.

Growth, always an important goal, continued in 2023. Across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, we grew by more than 250,000 subscribers and more than $146 million in new revenue.

We added more than 1,900 groups to our member roster while achieving an exceptional 99 percent retention rate of existing members. DeltaVision®, in its second year of existence, saw steady, appreciable growth as well adding nearly 800 new groups and more than 38,000 subscribers.

We are especially proud of the work we do to bring oral health care to underserved communities and the role we play in administering multiple government programs.

In 2023, Delta Dental retained 100 percent of existing government customers while adding more than 170,000 new Medicaid members.

Delta Dental employees set a new standard for employee giving, with an incredible 67 percent of staff members donating time, money or both to charitable activities.

The Delta Dental Foundation contributed nearly $7.5 million to benefit oral health education in 2023, impacting more than 2 million lives.

In 2023, we brought a new outlet to our provider relations efforts with the launch of Best Practice, a journal focused on dentistry, business and policy. In addition, more than two dozen dentists and dental office staff across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana were recruited to review, evaluate and contribute to strategies for all Delta Dental provider communications tools.

With a calm, consistent, and confident approach to our business initiatives, we delivered for our customers, partners and stakeholders in 2023.

 

Goran Jurkovic, President and CEO
Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana
 

Behind the numbers

More than
in new revenue
More than
new subscribers across
dental and vision
Medicare members added
More than
Success doesn't happen
on its own.

Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana spent a significant amount of time and effort in 2023 on the execution of our strategic plan. Every effort, every project, every decision was guided by this plan and the results speak for themselves.

There's always more to numbers than meets the eye and that is the case here. Behind every number was tremendous effort from Delta Dental staff.

Tony Robinson, executive vice president, chief marketing officer and chief relationship officer
Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana
More than
hours volunteered by
Delta Dental employees
%
of government programs customers retained
We’ve grown from around a million covered lives in 2018 to nearly 3 million in 2023. We are coming off a dynamic year and we expect that to continue in the years to come. We’re excited about and proud of what we were able to accomplish in 2023, but the future is what really drives us. We’re in a great position to continue this pattern of growth.
Kush Shaqiri, vice president,
government programs
Government Programs continues to be an area of tremendous growth for Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.
We currently administer Medicaid or Medicare Advantage dental benefits in 13 states and, in 2023, we:
With a focus on investing in foundational work that would best position us for growth, we worked to build relationships with partners and prospects.
100%
of existing customers
Retained
Added more than
170,000
new Medicaid members

Delivering oral health care for

critical populations

 

Seeing a bright future

With the successful launch of DeltaVision® just a couple of years ago,
this partnership with VSP® Vision Care continues to show its potential.
Tony Robinson, executive vice president, chief marketing officer, chief relationship officer
Adding vision made sense from a diversification strategy. It gave our customers and agents who appreciate our service and account management another touch point with Delta Dental. In just a couple of years, we are excited by the growth of this product and excited for the future.
In 2023, the vision book of business climbed by 760 new groups, adding more than 38,000 new subscribers to vision benefits in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.
Individual vision options were also developed and refined in Michigan and Indiana, and they were publicly launched and made available in early 2024.
In late 2023, Delta Dental of Michigan saw years of effort and tireless advocacy culminate in a major win with the passage of legislation that could put 112,000 Michigan kids on a path to improved oral health.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the legislation establishing an oral health assessment requirement for Michigan kindergartners.
Delta Dental’s government relations team played a key role in advocating for the passage of Senate Bill 280, sponsored by state Sen. Sam Singh (East Lansing).
The Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) helped kick off the program with a $1.5 million grant for startup costs.
“This important law will help improve kids’ health and set them up for success in school and beyond,” said Holli Seabury, EdD, executive director of the DDF.
Sen. Sam Singh
Dental health is often overlooked when we talk about the health and development of our kids. All families need  access to care to ensure their children stay healthy and can be successful.
Michigan's governor Gretchen Whitmer with Delta Dental vice president and chief lobbyist, Rick Lantz.

Delta Dental of Michigan helps push

oral health screenings into law

 

Strengthening

relationships

Provider relations were a point of emphasis in 2023. With a renewed focus on communications between Delta Dental and our
in-network dentists, we proudly unveiled a 
new provider-focused publication in December of 2023.
Best Practice:
A new vessel of provider communications
Best Practice, a journal of dentistry, business and policy, is produced three times a year and delivered directly to participating dentists in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
As part of the publication development process, we created a panel of dental professionals, including dentists, hygienists and office managers, to help guide Delta Dental’s communications efforts and to improve further the relationship between Delta Dental and its provider network. This panel meets up to four times a year in addition to smaller, focused group sessions with a singular goal:
Each issue features content tailored to the interests and concerns of our dentist network, spotlighting the impactful stories of dentists driving Delta Dental's mission to improve oral healthcare accessibility.
To increase and improve communications between Delta Dental and network providers.

Value-Based Payment project a rousing success

Value-based payment programs (VBP) continue to be a popular topic in dentistry. In 2023, Delta Dental again showed why it’s the leader in dental benefit administration by creating a VBP program for Michigan’s Healthy Kids Dental (HKD) program.
This innovative program sought to increase dental home formation for HKD enrollees identified as non-utilizers, targeting several regions statewide, specifically Regions 2, 3, 4, 8, and 10.

Delta Dental onboarded seven Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) to participate in the VBP within the regions noted above, including
Dental Clinics
North
(Regions 2, 3)
Cassopolis
Family Clinic
(Regions 2, 3)
(Region 4)
Cherry
Health 
(Region 10)
Central City
Integrated Health
(Region 8)
MyCare
Health Center
Grace
Health
(Region 8)
(Region 4)
The Wellness Plan 
MedicalCenters 
The FQHCs were strategically selected based on the high numbers of non-utilizers in the region, the capacity to see more HKD members, and reporting systems already in place with the ability to document and report non-utilizer visits, along with missed appointments, in a timely manner. 
This VBP program proved to be highly successful, resulting in a 15.6 percent increase in converting non-utilizing members to utilizers and the formation of a dental home.
This 2023 project provided excellent data and real-world experience that can guide future efforts to use VBP programs to increase the utilization of critical government dental programs.
The selected group of FQHCs received $150,000 in initial “pay for reporting” incentives to participate, based on the number of non-utilizers engaged in their service area. These FQHC partners were also eligible for a “pay for performance” bonus incentive to be paid in March after the final results were calculated.
​
It paid nearly $198,000 in initial incentives and bonus payments for successful implementation within the required “2C” Learning Action Network (LAN) frameworks.
THE RESULTS
More than
text messages sent
phone calls made
More than
​
Enrollees encouraged to schedule and complete dental appointments.
THE EFFORTS
To support the VBP project and increase engagement among the referred non-utilizers:
Of those referred,
1,485
subsequently received dental services for a total utilization percentage of 15.6 percent.
members
of non-utilizers in FQHCs statewide and
of FQHC locations within the state.
More than
9,500
unique HKD enrollees
identified as non-utilizers were directly referred to one of seven dental clinics
It also engaged
 

Building communities

Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana set an aggressive stretch goal for corporate citizenship in 2023: 60 percent of all employees volunteering donations of time, money, or both. Thanks to incredible commitment and participation by Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana staff that goal wasn't just met, but was surpassed in a big way.

67%

The tally of volunteer hours topped 5,300, with 656 employees contributing time, funds or both at one of more than 100 organizations.
Delta Dental builds healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all and, along the way, connects our employees with the nonprofit organizations in the communities that we serve.
A remarkable 67 percent of our employees stepped up, participating in at least one charitable effort. The breadth of projects undertaken is impressive and inspiring. Nearly 400 staff members contributed more than $57,000 to 115 nonprofit organizations. The tally of volunteer hours topped 5,300, with 656 employees contributing time, funds or both at one of more than 100 organizations.
They crafted 652 warm and comforting blankets for kids through Fleece & Thank You, built 50 beds with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and assembled a staggering 4,000 student and 624 teacher STEM kits for Head Start children in partnership with Impression 5. They also got their hands dirty, planting, cultivating and harvesting hundreds of pounds of produce in partnership with Forgotten Harvest, Cristo Rey Community Center and the Allen Neighborhood Center.
Margaret Trimer, vice president of strategic partnerships
Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana
MICHIGAN

Teaming up on oral health education, access and advocacy

Operating from an endowment with an annual spending budget equal to 5 percent of the three-year rolling average of the endowment’s balance, DDF directs millions to support partnerships and programs that improve oral and overall health and health equity.
The vision of DDF is simple but profound: A world in which everyone has access to high-quality dental care that meets their comfort level and abilities across the lifespan. To enact this goal, DDF aligns its grantmaking under five strategic aims, with oral health equity for people with disabilities as its cornerstone:
  • Access to care
  • Advocacy
  • Education
  • Emerging initiatives
  • Workforce development
In 2023, the DDF committed nearly $7.5 million in grants, scholarships, sponsorships, and educational resources, impacting more than 2 million lives in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and beyond. For details, check out the DDF’s 2023 annual report.
Established in 1980 as a 501(c)3, the Delta Dental Foundation (DDF) is the philanthropic, charitable arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina.
Funding the future of dental care for those with disabilities
As part of its commitment to workforce development, DDF grants were awarded to send nine students from The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Dentistry and Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine to the Special Care Dentistry Association’s (SCDA) annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. The SCDA’s meeting is designed to help oral health professionals connect, collaborate, and create change in dental care for people with disabilities.
“There are so many residencies and specializations, and I’ve hit that point where I wonder, what’s next?” said Sydney Sherek, a fourth-year dental student at OSU. The SCDA meeting was her first experience with general practice residency (GPR) and advanced education in dentistry (AED) program directors. “I got to see and hear what they’re about. That type of networking is valuable not just from a learning perspective but also because it could potentially lead to my next job.”   Dr. Nate Tragesser, another attendee pursuing a GPR at the Lee Specialty Clinic, is on a career path that will include providing dental care to people with disabilities.   “Training to provide care to people with disabilities isn’t very common in dentistry. There’s a lot of room for improvement,” Tragesser said. At OSU, students have the opportunity to learn from Dr. Steve Beetstra, a champion in the realm of dental care for people with disabilities, and practice their skills at the Nisonger Center, which was awarded a DDF grant for renovations. In addition, students like Sherek are creating their own opportunities for learning and advocacy by forming student chapters of the SCDA.   “Freshman year, there was another guy who wanted to start the SCDA club, and I was right on board,” Sherek said. In college, Sherek volunteered with a club that met every Sunday to hang out or run sporting activities with Special Olympics athletes. “The joy I felt being around everyone—they were always so excited to tell you what they were really passionate about. Their enthusiasm, regardless of ability level, was incredibly contagious.”
Oral Health, Inclusive Care the focus of Central Nine Career Center
In 2023, the DDF awarded Central Nine Career Center $35,000, which helped fund a third teaching operatory for the classroom.   
Central Nine Career Center provides active, career-based learning in an experiential environment for students. High school students drive or are bussed in for morning or afternoon sessions every weekday, and career programs range from construction trades to culinary arts.  
According to Jan Tunis, a dental hygienist and instructor for Central Nine Career Center’s dental careers program, this addition of teaching space has made a huge difference.  
“I generally teach 30 to 32 students at a time, and only three are allowed in each operatory,” Tunis said. “Having the third chair increases teaching capacity by 50 percent.”  
During one class where participants of Charlene’s Angles, an adult day care program located in Greenwood, IN, students practice tooth brushing, wear personal protective equipment (e.g., gowns, gloves, and masks), and explore dental operatories—all without fear or expectations.  
Tunis sees this as a way to demystify the dental office, make it less scary and help people who may have significant sensory or mobility challenges learn what to expect. It’s also a great way to encourage the next generation of oral health professionals to overcome stigma and meet people where they are.  
“My daughter, Josie, has a cognitive disability, so I know full well the types of challenges many people with disabilities face when it comes to dental care,” Tunis said. “Because Josie used to be one of Charlene’s angels, I knew we had a unique opportunity for oral health education—for the angels and the students.”  
This connection between workforce development and oral health equity for people with disabilities made this an obvious area for Delta Dental Foundation’s (DDF) attention and support. 
INDIANA
United We Smile making
a difference in
Northwest Michigan
For hundreds of children in the 10-county Michigan region of Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford, United We Smile is one of the only places they can receive affordable dental care.  
According to the United Way of Northwest Michigan, almost half the children from the region are covered by Healthy Kids Dental, the children’s Medicaid program. Approximately 40 percent of children in Benzie and Manistee counties have never received dental care.   United Way of Northwest Michigan launched the UWS initiative with these factors in mind. The clinic, located in Traverse City, shares space with the United Way office. It has eight dental operatories, state-of-the-art x-ray technology, a sensory room and a community resource room (or “free” store) that provides dental hygiene supplies, clothing items, non-perishable food and more to patients in need.  
Initial funding for the clinic came from the DDF and Delta Dental of Michigan, with more expected from additional funders in an ongoing capital campaign. This effort is also a partnership with the University of Michigan’s dental program providing dental students with hands-on training and experience, another terrific example of DDF’s commitment to on workforce development and oral health equity for people with disabilities.  
As a Center for Inclusive Dentistry (CID), UWS has the tools to do that. The DDF created the CID program to provide the training and resources necessary to deliver high-quality dental treatment to people with disabilities. Like all CIDs, UWS’s care team participated in virtual training but also received hands-on, immersive training at the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities.  
“[The training] really changed how we felt about the care we were providing,” Kerns said. “We felt so incredibly empowered, even in the ways we talked to parents on the phone.” Kerns stressed that the training wasn’t just validating—it also gave them new ideas for what the clinic might need, such as the sensory rooms or papoose boards. “We revamped so much after the training, from our note templates to what we wanted the students to be doing and seeing,” Kerns said.  
It’s worth noting that UWS isn’t just caring for children—they provide much-needed dental care to local veterans. On Fridays, UWS hosts Victors for Veterans, a program out of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry that provides more than $2.2 million in free dental care to veterans statewide. ​
OHIO
2023

(000s omitted)

2022​

(000s omitted)

Total net assets

$1,065,666

Total revenue

$1,526,183

Total benefits and expenses

$1,491,310

Operating income

$34,873

Nonoperating (loss) income

$(90,460)

Change in net assets

$(55,587)

Total assets

$1,401,945

Total net assets

$1,139,887

Total benefits and expenses

$1,647,123

Operating income

$5,247

Change in net assets

$74,220

Total revenue

$1,652,371

Nonoperating (loss) income

$68,973

Total assets

$1,303,291

Financials