Dental Plan Benefits

Dental insurance makes it easy to go to the dentist by minimizing out-of-pocket costs for routine dental check-ups, expensive procedures and most things in between.

Dental Insurance

Active Employee Coverage

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Retired Employee Coverage

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Enrollment

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To be eligible for the dental plan, you must be in an eligible employee classification, and regularly work at least 17.5 hours a week or have a minimum annual salary of at least $15,000. Your spouse/domestic partner, and children under age 26 are eligible for coverage. Children may be covered through the end of the month in which they turn 26. Please go to HARVie for more details on eligibility.

  • You must meet Harvard’s post-retirement health eligibility and:
  • Enroll in the retiree dental coverage at the time of retirement, or
  • At the time you first enrolled in the Harvard-sponsored retiree medical coverage, if you deferred medical coverage when you retired

You can enroll or make changes to your coverage:

    Within 30 days of your date of hire/date you become eligible. Coverage will be effective as of your date of hire/date you become eligible
  • Within 30 days of qualified life event (e.g., marriage, birth of a child, loss of other coverage, etc). Changes must be consistent with the life event and will be effective as of the date of the life event
  • During the annual Open Enrollment period which typically takes place in October/November. Changes made during OE are effective January 1 of the upcoming year.

Effective Date of Coverage: Changes made during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1. Outside of Open Enrollment, your benefits will become effective on the first day of the pay period after your date of hire or qualifying event (e.g., marriage, divorce). If your date of hire or qualifying event is the first day of the pay period, your effective date is the date of your hire/qualifying event.

Provider Flexibility: MetLife’s Preferred Dentist Program is a Dental PPO program. Each plan member is free to visit any licensed dentist, in or out-of-network, and receive benefits. In addition, family members do not need to see the same provider.

Documents

DENTAL SUMMARY HARVARD OPEN RETIREE
DENTAL SUMMARY HARVARD UNION ACTIVES
DENTAL SUMMARY HARVARD CLOSED RETIREE
DENTAL SUMMARY HARVARD NON-UNION ACTIVES
DENTAL SUMMARY HARVARD UNIVERSITY OPEN RETIREE SPANISH
DENTAL SUMMARY HARVARD UNIVERSITY CLOSED RETIREE SPANISH

In-network Savings Example

MetLife negotiates discounts with participating network providers. Your out-of-pocket costs will be lower when you visit a network provider. Following is an example comparing in-network and out-of-network costs for a Filling (resin – one surface anterior) performed in Boston with an average charge of $220.

  In-Network Out-of-Network
Filling: resin one surface average cost $220.00
MetLife negotiated fee1 $101.00 NA
MetLife pays 75% coinsurance $75.75 $165.00
You pay 25% coinsurance $25.25 $55.00
Approximate savings2 from visiting a participating dentist: $29.75
Your savings is the difference between the in-network out-of-pocket cost and the out-of-network out-of-pocket cost

 

Harvard new hires, or those experiencing a qualifying life event such as marriage, divorce or birth, have 30 days from their date of hire or qualifying event to enroll or make changes in coverage. All other faculty and staff can enroll or make changes to their coverage during the Open Enrollment held in the fall for coverage effective the following January 1.

 

 

1 Negotiated fees refer to the fees that in-network dentists have agreed to accept as payment in full for certain services, subject to any co-payments, deductibles, cost sharing and benefits maximums. Negotiated fees are subject to change. Negotiated fees do not apply to non-covered services in states that prohibit limitations for services not covered under a plan. Participating providers in these states may charge their non-negotiated fees for non-covered services.

2 Savings from enrolling in a dental benefits plan featuring the MetLife Preferred Dentist Program will depend on various factors, including the cost of the plan, how often participants visit a dentist, and the cost of services rendered.

Group dental plans featuring the Preferred Dentist Program are provided by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY

Like most group benefits programs, benefit programs offered by MetLife and its affiliates contain certain exclusions, exceptions, waiting periods, reductions, limitations and terms for keeping them in force. You may be financially responsible for copayments, deductibles, or any other amounts in excess of those MetLife is required to pay for covered services as described in your dental certificate and/or policy. Ask your MetLife representative for costs and complete details.