Join us for the 2024 Annual Conference, held from May 2nd to May 4th, at Campbell’s Resort in Chelan, WA. Experience insightful discussions, networking opportunities and scenic views in this picturesque lakeside setting. 

Thank You to Our Conference Sponsors!

Thank You to Our Conference Vendors!

Taking the time to immerse in the community of Service and giving of time and self within the dental community was an uplifting and inspiring experience. Seeing professionals that compete on a professional level working together for a few days of urgent oral care was a highlight of my year. 

Making new connections and jumping in to serve along side Prosthodontists and dentists in the state was a pure and a powerful light of hope for a brighter better industry of Denturists. There are many potential Denturist’s among the volunteers of SKC Clinic as well as extremely knowledgeable experts and vendors. 

Not only were the volunteers of the highest quality individuals, those people that showed up at 5am to get dental work and other health needs met were saintly. And they came from all over the country. I met people from Chicago, St. Lewis and Atlanta. 

The removable department was one of the busiest with the most primitive and limited tools and supplies. It really pushed those technicians to their limits making RPD’s in hours off bloody impressions. 

We served hundreds of people and were not able to fulfill all the needs. The community was still wanting after all the efforts of dozens of people putting in 12+hr days for 4 consecutive days. 



And they all still made time to party afterwards. 

John Unsicker,

WDA President-Elect 

The Periodontist that worked with me was Dr Johvin Perry CAPT, DC, USN; Director for Branch Clinics; Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics; USNMRTC Yokosuka, Japan .  He put in a lot of hours flying solo at the clinical part of the prosthetics department, he flew in just to volunteer on that day. I was able to help out with patients and do lab work as well, Like John said, it was working under conditions where many instruments and supplies were not present so we had to improvise in most cases. Not enough technicians were available so whatever denturists were present had to do mostly lab work, everyone cared so much that you could feel the camaraderie amongst the volunteers. The experience was amazing and the gratefulness received by those patients was so fulfilling, it did not feel like work. We had fun doing what we did, definitely going back next year.  

Christian Iturriaga,

WDA President 

The 2024 session of the Legislature gaveled to a close just before 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 7th, marking another on-time adjournment for lawmakers. The preceding 60 days were a sprint, in which nearly 1,200 new bills were introduced and around 380 ultimately passed on to the Governor’s desk. 

For the WDA, this was a quiet session. We monitored the budget – which continued Adult Dental Medicaid spending at current levels – but did not have any denturist-specific bills this session after working to pass our insurance bill in 2023.

Overall, the session featured major public policy debates and long floor sessions, where majority Democrats achieved some, but not all, of their top priorities for the year. Supplemental budgets were also negotiated and adopted. The biggest story of the session was the introduction of six citizen initiatives, three of which ultimately passed.  

Wellpoint

Wellpoint is in the following counties: Columbia, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Lincoln, Pierce, Spokane, Snohomish and Thurston.

Wellpoint plans started January of 2024 and was previously Amerigroup. You have to use Dentaquest for billing and eligibility. If you previously were enrolled with Amerigroup you should already have access to Dentaquest. Wellpoint can pay up to $3500 for in network providers.  

1. Become a state-approved Washington programs provider: 
2. To learn more about this process, please refer to the Enroll as a Provider guidelines on the Washington State Health Care Authority website. 
3. Become a Wellpoint provider: 
4. Navigate to https://www.availity.com 
5. After logging in, select Payer Spaces. 
6. Select the Wellpoint Washington, Inc. logo. 
7. Select Applications, then Provider Enrollment  

If you have questions or need help, please contact us at 1-833-731-2274. 

Dentaquest  

Dentaquest Enrollment Form

Dentaquest Utilization Management: 1-800-294-9650 

Dentaquest Provider Services: 1-855-230- 1855 

Cigna

Cigna is in the following counties: Cowlitz, Clark and Spokane.

First-Time Credentialing 

How to Join a Dental Network 

1. Call or email Cigna HealthcareSM. To start the online application process, call at 1 (800) Cigna24 (244-6224) or 1 (800) 280-9622, or send an email with your name, office name and office address to dentistenrollment@cigna.com. 

2. Provide your credentials. You can submit your credentials electronically using the Council for Affordable Quality Health Care (CAQH) Universal Credentialing DataSource, One Healthport/Medversant, or our e-onboarding tool. If your application already exists in CAQH or One Healthport/Medversant, with your permission we will access it to gather most of the information we need:

• W-9 form 
• Current dental license 
• Current drug enforcement agency (DEA) certificate (not required for orthodontists) 
• Certificate of specialty training (if applicable) 
• Current professional liability policy declarations page 

As another option, if it’s required by the state in which you practice, we’ll accept a state application that you complete, sign, and mail to us with the required documentation. 

3. We then work with you to explore our network options and help find the best fit for your practice. Cigna Healthcare offers multiple products and network options for you to consider.

4. Welcome to the Cigna Healthcare network. Once all your paperwork is complete and you are approved and credentialed, you will receive an email letting you know that you have been approved and when your effective date is. 

The Benefits of Collaboration 

Cigna Healthcare shares the same mission as doctors, dentists and other health care providers, hospitals and facilities. We all strive for the better health and well-being of your patients – our customers. 3 simple reasons to work with us.

Questions?  

1 (800) 88CIGNA (882-4462)  

DentistEnrollment@Cigna.com 

If you are checking the status on where you are in the credentialing process, we will need the name and tax ID number from your application. 

Important Notice for Texas Only: 

Cigna Dental Health of Texas, Inc., which provides dental care benefit services, will accept applications for participation in its network of General Dentists, Pediatric Dentists, Endodontists, Periodontists, Oral Surgeons, and Orthodontists from December 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. Applicants must meet all credentialing and other participatory criteria. All applications will be reviewed, and responses will be made within 90 days of receipt. For providers located in any Texas metropolitan statistical area, please reach out by: 

• Emailing DentistEnrollment@cigna.com and use the subject line: Open Enrollment 2024 
• Mailing to: 

The Cigna Group Companies 

P.O. Box 709005 

Dallas, TX 75370 

Recredentialing 

When it’s time to be recredentialed, Cigna Healthcare will notify you that it’s time to start the process and will provide you with clear instructions. 

Additional Information on Insurance Complaints: 

Denturists cannot file complaints against Medicare Advantage plans through the Washington Insurance Commissioner's office as the new bill does not apply to them and it was suggested that providers wanting to file a complaint contact their state representatives instead.  

Become a member of the Washington Denturist Association (WDA) today and gain access to a vibrant community of Denturists. With multiple membership types available, including options for students and seasoned practitioners alike, the WDA offers valuable resources, networking opportunities, and professional development to support your career in denturism. Join us in advancing the field and connecting with fellow professionals across Washington state. 

Denturist Active Members | $900

• Membership to the National Denturist Association 
• Subscription to the online newsletter 
• Office advertisement on the WDA website 
• Discount on conferences 
• Access to Peer Review resolution process 
• Opportunity to volunteer on a committee. 

Non-Denturist Associate Members | $25

*Must have a Denturist member  

• Office advertisement on the WDA website 
• Opportunity to volunteer on a committee. 

Student

• Rolling membership fees, which include: 
• As a Student – FREE 
• First year post-graduation – $200 
• Second year post-graduation – $500 
• Office advertisement on the WDA website 
• Opportunity to volunteer on a committee. 

Wonderful Denture practice in a desirable area of King County. The practice is fully staffed and slated to collect over $750,000 this year. Featuring, 3 operatories, great parking, and located in a nice neighborhood, this practice has great opportunity for growth as it currently operates only three days a week. 

To learn more about this opportunity or list a practice with us, visit PracticeSales.com or contact Cole Harrison:

(509) 310-9531 | Cole@PracticeSales.com

YOUR ACTION NEEDED TODAY: AN INVESTMENT IN THE WASHINGTON DENTURIST POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR BUSINESS’ SURVIVAL!

WDA has had past legislative successes. We expanded the denturist scope to include teeth whitening trays and snore guards. We worked to reinstate the Adult Dental Medicaid Program after it was cut and have been a core part of the team working to protect it. We also passed a bill that requires stand-alone dental insurance plans to include denturists in their networks. Now we need to work on reducing fees for denturists, continue expansion and payments for those working with dental Medicaid patients, and we need to increase state investment in training new denturists. This is going to require a Legislature made of people who know who denturists are and who support denturists as dental providers. This means the 2024 elections are a key! Our entire Washington State House of Representatives is up for re-election, and half of our state’s Senate. Add that to over a dozen legislative retirements and vacancies, as well as open seats in the statewide races for Governor and Insurance Commissioner. We have a lot of work to help get denturist supporters elected! 

Why is this important? Denturists have been fighting – and winning – here in Washington to be recognized major players in the dental community. From the originating initiative in 1994 to expanding our scope of practice in 2013, we have accepted the political challenges of our profession and had success. It is this grassroots and patient support combined with our willingness to pool our funds to achieve our goals that has gotten the attention of our state’s legislators. 

No one gets elected without financial assistance and the WDA Political Action Committee (WDPAC) helps get the attention of candidates before they are elected. Therefore, we are urging you to contribute TODAY to the Washington Denturist Political Action Committee (WDPAC).  Checks can be made out to:

WDA PAC

C/O Northwest Dental

2710 Meridian St.

Bellingham, WA 98225

This is a request that should not be ignored. Instead, it should be viewed as a key investment in the success and survival of your business – since politics and government oversee everything your business does. The WDPAC is the easiest way for you to get involved in what government is doing.

Most health care provider groups have PACs and many of them are very well-funded – particularly the Dentists. While WDA may not be able to get to the $400,000 plus of the Dentist PAC, we can get to an amount that will enable us to make sure Denturist supporters are sitting in legislative offices in 2025. The more Denturist supporters are elected, the easier it will be to get the insurance changes and other protections needed to keep Denturists as a vital and valuable health care provider in Washington! 

Writing a check is the easiest form of political action there is – and it can have the most impact when combined through a political action committee to help elect people who would vote as you would vote if you were in Olympia! 

So please write that check for $100, $500, $1000 or even more. No contribution is too small, and no contribution is too big. 

Washington Denturist Association

5727 Baker Way, NW Suite 200 | Gig Harbor, WA 98332

253-579-817

wadenturist.com