Association’s Highest Honor Recognizes Contributions to Dental Benefits Industry

DALLAS, Oct. 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fostering communication, education and collaboration between dental plans and providers earned Amy Marko of Starmount Life Insurance Company, Unum Group’s dental and vision center of expertise, the 2017 Gabryl Award, the dental benefits industry’s highest honor, presented by the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP).

NADP presented the Gabryl Award during its recent annual conference, CONVERGE 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Gabryl Award honors long-term volunteer achievements that help NADP fulfill its mission to promote and advance the dental benefits industry as well as improve consumer access to affordable dental care. NADP Gabryl Award recipients are nominated by volunteer groups and selected by the Board of Directors. Both the NADP Membership WorkGroup and Education Commission recommended Marko’s Gabryl Award nomination.

In her acceptance speech Marko thanked the NADP Board of Directors, staff, and fellow volunteers for their work to advance the industry. She noted, “As I reflect on those early years, I recall our goal was simply to change the reputation of managed care plans, trying to meet with anyone who would listen, and there weren’t many. Today, we stand before senators, CEOs and others, and they are not just listening to us; they are seeking us out. We are no longer changing a product but changing an industry.”

NADP Volunteer Service
Because Marko’s professional experience includes service for leading carriers and Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), she is able to see common issues from both perspectives. With this expertise and knowledge, she has been a highly effective chair of the NADP Operations WorkGroup, which recently released two invaluable tools benefitting the entire industry from both plan and provider perspectives: the uniform provider directory validation spreadsheet and a single-page credentialing and attestation form.

Marko has served NADP in many volunteer roles including the Education Commission in 1996, serving as Vice-Chair in 1998 and 1999. In 1998, she also chaired the Subgroup on Alternative Educational Initiatives that was responsible for developing Provider Relations seminars held in California and Washington D.C.

She was elected to the NADP Board in 1999 and served through 2004. While on the Board and through 2005, she continued as a member of the Education Commission. She served on the Research Commission from 2008-2012 and Communications Committee from 2011-2012. She rejoined the Education Commission and joined the Operations Workgroup in 2012. She became chair of the Operations WorkGroup in 2014 after receiving a Star Award for her work bringing DSOs into discussions on working better with dental plans--particularly on work toward credentialing solutions.

“It has been my privilege to know Amy and serve with her during the course of her career and volunteer service to NADP. She has made service to the dental benefits industry a priority in all of her professional positions and made sure her company was engaged in the work of the association. Both NADP and the industry have benefitted from her service,” said NADP Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland, CAE.

Professional Experience
Marko is the senior vice president of dental and vision products and professional relations for Starmount. She oversees the development and management of Starmount’s dental and vision provider networks, including leased networks and the proprietary AlwaysCare Dental and First Look Vision networks. Marko is also Starmount’s strategic lead for product development, network growth and utilization management for all dental and vision related programs.  

Marko began her managed dental care career with Safeguard Health Enterprises in 1977 and held progressively more responsible positions in network management, sales and customer service. In 1994 she left Safeguard as senior vice president with regional responsibility to join Prudential as executive director for Central Group operations. 

When Prudential sold to Aetna in 1999, Marko transitioned to vice president/general manager until she moved to the West Coast in 2004 as vice president of dental for Kaiser Permanente. In 2011, she joined Aspen Dental as vice president of insurance and managed care operations. Later she transitioned to InterDent as vice president of insurance operations. She now brings this wealth of experience to Starmount.

About NADP
National Association of Dental Plans (NADP), a Texas nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, is the “representative and recognized resource of the dental benefits industry.” NADP is the only national trade organization that includes the full spectrum of dental benefits companies operating in the United States. NADP’s members provide Dental HMO, Dental PPO, Dental Indemnity and Discount Dental products to more than 184 million Americans with dental benefits. For more information, visit www.nadp.org.

About Starmount
Starmount Life Insurance Company is a member of the Unum Group family of licensed insurers, and is a leading national provider and administrator of dental and vision insurance coverage for individuals and employees. Known for reliable service and customer satisfaction, Starmount is admitted in 49 states, and rated A- (“Excellent”) by A.M. Best (2017), independent insurance analysts. The company also earned a spot on the prestigious 2016 Ward’s 50 Top Performer list in life and health insurance. For more information, please visit www.StarmountLife.com.

CONTACT:
Evelyn Ireland
Executive Director
(972) 458-6998, x101
eireland@nadp.org