About Blue Dental^sm

Meet our Dental Director
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For 60 years Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa has been the industry leader in providing Iowans with health care products they can depend on. Now Wellmark is becoming a leader in the dental health industry by offering that same quality in a new dental product. Blue Dental was conceptualized in 1998 by Wellmark. However, our staff has been marketing and administering dental benefits for over 25 years, so we know what features are important to employers, employees and dentists.

Meet our Dental Director

Richard J. Hastreiter, D.D.S., M.P.H.
Vice President, Blue Dental Oral Health Management Center

Education
Dr. Richard Hastreiter earned his B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, D.D.S. from Marquette University, and M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota.

Career
Dr. Richard Hastreiter is responsible for applied oral health services research and technology information transfer, professional review utilization management, oral health policy development and oral health educational activities. Dr. Hastreiter has 29 years of experience in private and public sector program planning, development, implementation, supervision, management and evaluation of oral health care service delivery systems.

Prior to his present position, Dr. Hastreiter’s career included: five years in private general dental practice; five years in oral health, and environmental and chronic disease epidemiology senior management positions with the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services; twelve years as State Dental Director, and Chief of the Dental Health Section, Minnesota Department of Health; two years as a Dental Director for Smileage Dental Care, Inc., the Georgia Dental Plan and the Wisconsin Dental Group, S.C.; and two years as Assistant Vice President of Professional Services at Delta Dental Plan of Minnesota.

Dr. Hastreiter has held numerous leadership positions in national, state and local health care professional organizations. He is past president of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and has served on the Foundation Board of the National Association of Dental Plans. Dr. Hastreiter has published extensively in peer reviewed professional dental journals, and has provided numerous continuing dental education programs to dental health professionals throughout the United States. He has been on the faculties of the Marquette University School of Dentistry, and the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and School of Public Health. Dr. Hastreiter is currently a clinical associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry where he has taught in the areas of health care ethics, health education, and health care program planning and evaluation.

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Contact Us

Answering your questions:
Call Customer Service whenever you have a question about using your Blue Dental program. Our dedicated customer service staff can help you with:

• Finding Blue Dental participating dentists
• Getting a new provider directory
• Replacing a lost or incorrect I.D. card
• Benefits when traveling outside the service area
• Transferring care if your dentist is no longer part of the network
• Filing a complaint
• Questions on how a claim was processed

Customer Service 7:30-5:00 pm Monday – Friday, CST
Farm Bureau Members call Toll Free 1-877-202-0395
All Other Members call Toll Free 1-877-333-0164

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Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association doing business in Iowa and South Dakota. Blue Cross®, Blue Shield®, and the Cross® and Shield® symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an Association of Independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.