Vendors named for new federal supplemental dental coverage
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Posted May 8, 2006 |
By Craig Palmer Washington—The U.S. Office of Personnel Management said seven companies will offer enhanced dental coverage to federal employees next year. The OPM oversees benefits under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which covers some 8 million employees, family members and retirees worldwide.
The OPM named MetLife, GEHA, United Concordia, Aetna, GHI, CompBenefits and TripleS as carriers that will offer supplemental dental benefits under the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Benefits Enhancement Act of 2004 during "open season" enrollment starting Nov. 13. Three other companies were named as offering vision benefits. The act requires the OPM to establish arrangements under which supplemental dental and vision benefits will be available to government workers by 2007. Federal employees will enroll voluntarily and will pay the costs of coverage except for OPM administrative expenses.
Contract details were not immediately available pending negotiations with contractors.
"This new dental and vision program provides new health care choices for the federal family," said OPM Director Linda Springer. "Those covered will be able to enroll for comprehensive dental benefits, comprehensive vision benefits or both, and employees will be able to use pre-tax payroll deductions to acquire their additional dental and vision benefits."
The OPM announcement suggested that none of the 10 companies will offer combined dental and vision coverage as OPM officials had hoped (ADA News Today March 13, Enhanced dental benefits for federal employees debut later this year).
An online news report at www.govexec.com  said OPM's solicitation called for coverage of such preventive care as oral evaluations, topical fluoride treatment and sealants for a small subscriber co-pay, more extensive services such as extraction and root canal surgery covered at 70 percent after a deductible, major dental work such as permanent crowns, bridges and dentures covered at 40 percent after a deductible and orthodontia coverage of at least 30 percent. Deductibles are not to exceed $100.
The chosen dental providers include national and regional carriers, said the www.govexec.com report. The OPM did not immediately post an announcement at the agency Web site but an agency spokesman confirmed the report.
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