Federal employees in the US have access to a variety of dental insurance plans through the Federal Employees Vision and Dental Insurance Program. The plans offer competitive rates and no limitations on pre-existing conditions, but the government does not contribute to premiums. Employees can only enroll twice, during a specified period or during an annual six-week open season.
A federal dental plan is a dental insurance option in the United States available to federal employees. There are a variety of plans offered by private insurers through the federal government, which offer competitive rates. The rates are often lower than what employees could get elsewhere, effectively acting as a group discount due to the sheer number of leads the government has to offer insurers. Employees can generally only enroll in a plan during a specified period.
There is no specific federal dental plan. Instead, multiple plans are included in a scheme known as the Federal Employees Vision and Dental Insurance Program. This allows employees to access a variety of group plans. In addition to reducing costs, there are usually no limitations on pre-existing conditions.
Whichever federal dental plan an employee chooses will be on an all-enrollee basis. This means that although the government has arranged for the plan, it does not contribute to the premiums. The money employees pay into the plan is deducted from wages at source, which means it doesn’t count toward taxable income.
A federal employee faces several options when selecting a federal dental plan. First, she must choose a provider from those available in her area. For example, an employee can choose from five vendors. If she chooses a provider, she must choose one of several types of plans. These may include a preferred provider organization (PPO), in which the employee can choose any dentist; an exclusive provider organization (EPO), in which the employee can only choose from a designated group of dentists; and a health maintenance organization, which does not require the patient to pay and then claim treatment costs in the same way that the PPO and EPO do.
The employee must also choose who the plan should cover. The options are coverage for self only, one plus one, and one and family. Regardless of election, the only people the plan can cover other than the employee are the employee’s spouse and unmarried children under age 22, or age 22 or older but unable to support themselves.
Employees can only enroll in a federal dental plan twice. One is during the 60 days after becoming eligible for coverage, the conditions of which depend on the particular agency where the employee works. The other is during an annual six-week period known as “open season,” which typically takes place in November and December.
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