Dental and vision options for Federal Government employees

If you’re an eligible employee of the United States federal government, you should think about taking up the offer of your employer to suggest dental and vision care providers through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. The Program allows eligible employees to select from seven different dental plans and three different vision plans, all at what the Office of Personnel Management describes as “competitive group rates”. Sign-ups to the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program are only available during the annual federal employee health benefits Open Season (with a few exceptions), the dates of which will be announced by the federal government each year. If you’ve got a pre-existing medical condition when you sign up for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, you will not be limited in the coverage provided to you. The Program offers three options determining how many members in your family receive dental and vision coverage – Self Only, Self plus One and Self and Family.

However, there is no government contribution to the Program premiums, and employees will be required to pay the entire premium out of their own pocket. One way to reduce the cost of Program-provided dental and vision care insurance is to have your premiums taken from your salary on a pre-tax basis, provided you are eligible for this. In general, all employees eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program are also eligible to sign up for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, regardless of whether they are actually enrolled in the former. To enrol for the Program, simply visit www.BENEFEDS.com during employee benefits open season or during your 60-day qualifying period for new hires. Qualifying Life Event (e.g. birth of a child, legal separation or marriage) provisions also apply to the Dental and Vision Insurance Program. According to the United States federal government’s Office of Personnel Management, those considering the Dental and Vision Insurance Program should examine how the Program will link in to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. You never know – your main Health Benefits Program may eliminate the need to dental and vision care insurance altogether!