An Introduction to Dental Coverage

An Introduction to Dental Coverage
Past, Present, and Future
The Current Arrangement: Vital Savings by Aetna
• One Annual Fee‐ $25.00
• A Discount Program, Not Insurance
• Can be used at a growing network of 130,000 offices and businesses. • Provides roughly a 15‐20% discount.
• The program also includes discounts on certain vision, fitness, and alternative health care products and services.
• All these discounts can be explored at: aetnastudenthealth.com, and typing “Notre Dame”
A Graduate Student Dental Plan
•
•
•
•
Optional enrollment at the same time as Health Insurance. $120‐50. The insurance program offered coverage for a range of basic dental needs, but it was not comprehensive of all needs covered by standard workplace dental insurances. From Aetna’s perspective, the number enrolled was not fiscally solvent, many students opted out. Many chose to stay on parent’s plan, or pay dental cleaning expenses out of pocket. On Petitions and Effecting Change
• A petition has been circulated and ultimately signed by 132 graduate students, requesting reinstatement of the optional dental insurance policy. • University Health Services has organized a working group charged to investigate the dental insurance coverage situation. They will do some background work, meet as a group to discuss, pulling in Aetna as needed, and then meet with impacted students. Finally, they will report our findings to Provost Tom Burish and Vice President for Student Affairs Erin Hoffman Harding and then make a recommendation to the student health insurance committee. • In the meantime, Graduate Students should continue to maintain awareness of these developments. Other Aspects to Consider
• Dental Coverage and the Affordable Care Act: which has come into effect since the previous optional dental insurance benefit was removed. The exchanges do not offer standalone dental insurance coverage, and many students are disappointed at the lack of options after trying the ACA website.
Further Information
• Technical Questions: Connie Morrow (Insurance and Accounts Office, Notre Dame)
• AETNA Dental Hotline: 1‐877‐238‐6200