No. The 1.5 percent insurance contribution is for medical and prescription coverage only. The dental rates are not affected.

Each year during Open Enrollment, you may elect to enroll in the First Commonwealth DMO dental plan, change from one dental plan to another, or add coverage for a spouse or dependent child to First Commonwealth coverage. You may also enroll in the Blue Cross dental plan. Similarly, you may add coverage for an eligible family member to the Blue Cross dental plan. Evidence of good dental condition is not required.

Your program covers you. Your spouse's program covers him/her. You may have additional coverage from each other's programs if they cover spouses and dependents. In no case should the benefit derived from the two coordinated programs exceed 100 percent of the dentist's charges for treatment. The primary plan for covering your children depends on the regulations in your state. Most plans use the "birthday rule" (spouse with birthday occurring earlier in the calendar year is primary).

A3: The University Student Dental Plan is not an insurance plan and there is no insurance company involved. The copayment fees are the only fees a member is responsible for. These fees go directly to paying the dentist. Other dental insurance plans pay a certain percentage of the allowable fee and the patient is responsible for the remaining co-payment. Depending on the dentist that you go to, this amount will vary.

The pre-existing conditions provision does not apply to individuals who enroll in either Blue Cross or First Commonwealth during Open Enrollment.

Your new plan may or may not have coverage for REMICADE. A call can be made to your new insurance plan to determine how they will cover infusions with REMICADE for you. Once you have elected your new plan, AccessOneSM can provide assistance by placing this call to your insurance company and verifying how they will cover REMICADE and what your out-of-pocket costs will be.

Yes, but when you can change and how often you can change will vary. Beneficiaries that are considered dual-eligible with both Medicare and full Medicaid may change plans at any time during the year. Other low-income beneficiaries with income less than 150% of FPL may change plans once during the year. All others including those enrolled in a standard benefit may only change plans during the annual election period which runs from November 15 - December 31 each year.

Yes. The Peoples Dental Plan can coordinate services with dental insurance plans. In order to receive discounts from the Peoples Dental Plan you must see one of our providers. After paying the reduced fee, you will need to file a claim form with your insurance.

The Federal Advantage Plan is the perfect blend of easy to understand benefits, so it's easy to be confident you're making the right choice. Important features of the plan are:

Members of the Dental Expense Plan are required to satisfy a $50.00 deductible per person per calendar year. If you have family coverage, no additional deductibles are charged after any three members have each met their $50.00 deductible.

Under the Dental Expense Plan, the most the plan will pay for any one person per calendar year is $3,000. This maximum applies to all eligible services except orthodontics, which has a separate $1,000 lifetime benefit maximum. Members of Dental Plan Organizations (DPOs) are not subject to annual benefit maximums.

Under the Dental Expense Plan, eligible orthodontic services are covered for members under age 19 at a 50 % coinsurance level, up to a lifetime benefit maximum of $1,000. Orthdontic services are only covered if the employee has been a full-time employee for at least 10 months. Under DPOs, patients under 18 years at the start of treatment have a co-payment of $1,000 or 50% of the bill (whichever is less).

If a provider discontinues participation in the NC SmartChoice network, members enrolled in NC SmartChoice are not immediately qualified to leave the plan. However, State Health Plan members can change their plan annually during the State Health Plan open enrollment period. The next open enrollment period will be in spring 2007, and all plans offered then will have a July 1, 2007, effective date.

If you don't have dental insurance and can't afford a a discount dental plan, there is still an alternative. If there is a dental school in your area, call them and ask if they have a clinic. Often orthodontists and dentists in training will practice on patients in the school clinic, under the watchful eye of experienced teachers who are themselves dentists and orthodontists. This service is offered to the public at a minimal cost.

You will need to consult with your dental office to verify if they can coordinate a discount plan with your current insurance.

employee may enroll his or her spouse and eligible dependent children within 31 days from the date of employment. Employees may also add coverage for a spouse or children within 31 calendar days from the date of a qualified change in family status (marriage, birth, adoption, etc). Otherwise, evidence of good health is required in order to enroll dependents in Plan A at any other time.

To help find an orthodontist near you, it's best to get personal recommendations. Ask friends who have braces (or whose kids have braces). If your insurance covers orthodontics, see if it is limited to specific dentists/orthodontists. Or, post a query on ArchWired's Metal Mouth Message Board; our readers are all over the US and around the world, and are very helpful! Dental plans come and go; some are better than others.

It is an HMO type plan, so it is important that you see your Primary Care Dentist for any dental work that needs to be done.

Great! Most employers give their employees a dental choice by offering a Willamette Dental plan as a dual choice option with either a traditional insured dental plan, or a self-funded plan.

Discount dental plans are an affordable and easy-to-use alternative to dental insurance. Plan members are granted access to a large network of participating dental care providers that have agreed to offer their services at a discounted fee.

This information should be provided by the plan purchaser, often your employer or union, and by the third-party payers. In order that you and the dentist may be aware of the benefits provided by a dental benefit plan, the extent of any benefits available under the plan should be clearly defined, limitations or exclusions described, and the application of deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance factors explained to you. This should be communicated in advance of treatment.

Dental health plans at discounted rates provide facility to the patients to have dental care at lessened prices. It is not a difficult task to join up a dental health plan at discounted rates. Not considering your age, income, pre-existing condition you can join dental health plan at discounted rates. Under dental health, plans at discounted rates the dentists are bound to provide their services to you at lessened amount of fees.

Both options provide coverage for preventive, basic and comprehensive dental care. However, when you enroll in the Premium Dental Buy-up plan, your copayments and deductibles are lower and you have a higher calendar-year maximum. You also receive orthodontics coverage (not covered under Premium Dental). Both plans feature a national network of dentists who offer services at preferred rates, lowering the cost of care for you and DHL. Click here to see a benefits comparison spreadsheet.

Open season changes are effective the first day of the first full pay period that begins in January. Generally, mid-year changes are effective on the first day of the pay period which begins after your enrollment is received by your human resources/personnel office. Annuitant open season changes are effective January 1 and some mid-year changes are effective on the first of the month following receipt of the request.

The simple answer is yes. The most important difference between quality of these two plans root in the system they follow to reimburse doctors and dentists. Since dental PPO plans have a more generous reimbursement plan and better dental coverage in general, you can expect to get much more in both quality and flexibility out of a dental PPO plan. A dental PPO plan may be more costly in the short run, but the improved quality of service in general compensates for the difference in most cases.

First, the member receives dental services through a CAREINGTON participating Dentist at substantially discounted fees (20% - 60%). Next, after paying the reduced fees, the member files a claim with their dental insurance plan for fee reimbursement. If you are having major dental work, where the cost will exceed the annual dollar-limit of your dental insurance plan, then CAREINGTON may in effect extend your insurance benefits by first decreasing the total dollar-cost of your dental work.

Class A (Basic) services, which include oral examinations, prophylaxis, diagnostic evaluations, sealants and x-rays. Class B (Intermediate) services, which include restorative procedures such as fillings, prefabricated stainless steel crowns, periodontal scaling, tooth extractions, and denture adjustments.

Changes to benefit coverage are only allowed during the County's annual Open Enrollment period unless you have a change in your family status. Changes in family status typically allow you to add or delete dependents on your coverage but do not allow a change of health plans chosen unless you are moving to an area that is not served by your current health plan.

You can change your program during your regular open enrollment period in the fall. Your enrollment change will be effective on January 1 of the following year. You'll have the opportunity to switch programs again at next year's open enrollment.