KDA Today

KDA Today

For Immediate Release

Date: Feb 23rd, 2018
Contact: Mr. Richard Whitehouse
Phone: 800-292-1855
Email: info@kyda.org

6 Reasons NOT to Renew Your KDA Membership

I thought that might grab your attention…

We spend a lot of time telling non-member dentists about the value and importance of KDA membership. Membership in organized dentistry may be more important than ever – especially in Kentucky. With all the changes (good and bad) occurring in the profession and the increasing need to increase access to oral health care in a safe and sustainable manner, one would expect membership to be at an all-time high. But, it is not. Some dentists sit on the sidelines content to allow others to act on their behalf. In this article, I would like to address the six reasons why people tell me they haven’t become a KDA member dentist.

Reason #1. I can’t afford the dues.
There is an adage that suggests if you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Similarly, if you think membership dues are expensive, try maintaining the integrity of your profession without an association. By way of example, consider the importance and very tangible return on your investment of someone representing your interests before elected officials and policymakers in Washington and Frankfort throughout the entire year. With the changes in healthcare and efforts to relegate longstanding professions to vocations through legislative and executive fiat, dues are a small price to pay to support your profession.
But, if the expense is truly a concern, the ADA offers several opportunities to lower your dues in the event of financial difficulty or special circumstance. Specific questions may be addressed to Todd@kyda.org.

Reason #2. I don’t know what KDA is doing for me.
Our mission is to help member dentists succeed and serve. We do so through advocacy on behalf of the profession, service and support of our member’s needs, promotion of oral health through community service and public relations, and leading the profession within the ADA tri-partite structure.
From issues impacting Medicaid providers to concerns regarding the proliferation of mid-level providers in healthcare, we are working on these and many other issues throughout the year. We are representing the interests of member dentists and providing them information ranging from changes to prescribing rules to information regarding board reorganization. As we communicate with members, we also promote the increasingly important role oral health plays in overall health to policymakers and the public. But, we don’t work alone. As a member of a tri-partite organization, members actually have three organizations working for them - their local society, the KDA at the state level, and the ADA at the national level.
We communicate with members directly as well as through various publications like the biweekly KDA eXPRESS newsletter to the bimonthly KDA Today journal. We are also active on social media through Facebook and Twitter. We do this to keep our members informed and aware of what is happening in their profession.

Reason #3. I don’t need the benefits of membership
You may not need everything membership in organized dentistry has to offer. But, you don’t skip a meal just because you can’t eat everything on the buffet. Membership means different things to different people based upon their particular needs and circumstances as well as the point they are in their career.
So, even if you think you don’t need advocacy support or practice management and business guidance, there are many other tangible financial benefits for KDA members. These go beyond discounted services and products. For example, the ADA offers term and universal life coverage, disability protection, and student loan consolidation with considerable savings to members. In addition, the KDA recently partnered with Bowman Insurance to offer health insurance and other products specifically focused on the needs of KDA member dentists.

Reason #4. I’ll benefit from the work of the association whether I join or not.
It’s true that a rising tide raises all ships. But, a lack of dentist support in the association makes it more difficult to represent the profession as the voice of dentist in the commonwealth. Your voice of your profession will only be heard in Frankfort if more dentists support organized dentistry through membership in the KDA. So, dues paying members strengthen organized dentistry and amplify the collective voice of dentists in the commonwealth.
Moreover, non-members miss out on a lot of the products and services exclusively available to members from insurance, student loan refinancing, practice assistance, and information on issues impacting the profession.

Reason #5. I don’t have time to attend meetings
There are lots of opportunities to meet with colleagues, if that is what you want to do. But, you’re not required to attend any meetings as part of your membership. If you choose to do so, local society meetings are a great opportunity to network with colleagues in your area and coordinate activities on issues impacting your practice and the profession. Additionally, our annual Kentucky Meeting offers low-cost continuing education and members-only events like informative breakout sessions and leadership training. The Kentucky Meeting is a great opportunity to meet colleagues and celebrate organized dentistry as is the ADA Annual Meeting. It provides even more opportunities for education and information regarding best practices and member services available to help your daily practice. We recognize the lives of our members are busy ones. That’s why we’re here. Your level of involvement in organized dentistry is up to you.

Reason #6. I don’t know how to join.
That’s the easiest problem to solve and there are a number of ways to do so. The easiest way is to go to kyda.org and either download the membership application or complete it online. Simply email the application to kda@kyda.org or print and mail it to KDA Membership Services at 1920 Nelson Miller Parkway – 2nd fl, Louisville, KY 40223.

***

If you are reading this, chances are you are already a KDA member. Chances are you also know at least one friend or colleague who is not. You are the best person to communicate the real value of being a KDA member and what membership means to you. If every one of our members each recruited only one more member, we would have every dentist in Kentucky on board. What a message that would send to policymakers and elected officials. So, please consider talking to a friend or colleague about becoming a KDA member in 2018.

Also, tell us why you are a KDA member. Send your reason to me at whitehouse@kyda.org and I may include it in a future edition of KDA eXPRESS or KDA Today. Also, you can tell us directly via Twitter @KDAnow1. Use the hashtag “#whyIjoined”.
In the spirit of Kentucky’s state motto, let’s make 2018 the year you make a difference in your profession!

Press Releases