More to feel good about. Baltimore City Public Schools Dental Options

Transcription

1 More to feel good about. Baltimore City Public Schools 2011 Dental Options

2 Baltimore City Public Schools Important Phone Numbers for 2011 DHMO Customer Service (410) or (888) Mailing Address CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Dental Appeals and Correspondence P.O. Box Lexington, KY PPO Dental Customer Service (866) Baltimore City Public Schools

3 Baltimore City Public Schools Baltimore City Public Schools offers it's employees and their dependents the choice of two dental plans. Your first option is a Dental HMO (DHMO) plan, which is offered through The Dental Network and is available at no cost to you and no annual maximum. Your second option is a dental-buy up, PPO plan. This means that, for an additional premium, which is shared between you and your employer, you can buy-up to the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Preferred dental plan. Advantages of the DHMO Plan When you receive in-network care, you enjoy the following: n No claim forms. n No deductibles. n Unlimited maximum benefit amount. n Braces covered for children and adults. Things to Remember n You can change your dentist at any time (if no balance exists). n You can choose a different dentist for each family member. Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to select a dentist? Yes. Before you can receive benefits under this plan, you must first select a dentist within the provider directory. Must family members go to the same dentist? No. Each family member may select a different participating general dental office. What about orthodontia for adults and children? Orthodontia is covered for both adults and children. Do I have to fill out claim forms after each routine visit? There are no claim forms to complete. Are there any benefit maximums? There are no benefit maximums. What happens in a dental emergency away from home? The dental program will cover the cost of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures delivered by any general dentist up to a maximum of $50 per emergency occurrence greater than 50 miles from home. n You must get a referral to see a specialist. DHMO Dental Plan Administered by The Dental Network is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Baltimore City Public Schools 2

4 DHMO & Preferred (PPO) Dental Plan the CareFirst Preferred Dental (PPO), which provides a larger network of dentists. Advantages of the Plan n Freedom of Choice, Freedom to Save - With Preferred Dental coverage, you have the freedom to see any dentist. This plan also gives you the option to reduce your out-ofpocket expenses by visiting a dentist who participates in our network of Preferred providers. It s your choice! n Preventive Care and More - Benefits for you and your family include regular preventive care, X-rays, dental surgery and more. A summary of your benefits is available on page 5 of this guide. How do I find a participating DHMO dentist? To find a DHMO dentist, visit and click on Members in the upper left of your screen. Look under the Take Action section on the lower right and choose See plan benefits and Directories. Then select 5000S under Select Dental Plan. Click Select and you can choose to view or print the Dental Directory. If you are a PSASA member hired before 1/1/08 and have CareFirst combined Medical and Dental you may access your Dental providers by visiting and click on Members in the upper left of your screen. Look under the Take Action section on the lower right and choose See plan benefits and Directories. Then select CF City- DN70 under Select Dental Plan. Click Select and you can choose to view or print the Dental Directory. Preferred (PPO) Dental Plan Baltimore City Public Schools is giving you the option to purchase an enhanced dental plan, called n Large Network - Over 2,000 general and pediatric dentists in Maryland participate in CareFirst s Preferred Dental Network. There are over 320 network dentists in Baltimore City. You may already be seeing a dentist who is part of our network. n Out-of-network care - For a higher out-ofpocket cost, the Preferred plan allows you to go outside the network for care and still receive valuable dental coverage. n Easy to use - If you see a Preferred dentist, you will incur lower out-of-pocket costs for all dental services and you will have no claim forms to file. Preferred dentists have agreed to accept CareFirst s Allowed Benefit as payment in full for covered services. Once you meet your deductible and coinsurance, you won t be faced with additional expenses. n Nationwide emergency coverage - Emergency dental coverage is there when you need it, no matter where you are using your out-ofnetwork coverage. 3 Baltimore City Public Schools

5 Preferred (PPO) Dental Plan Frequently Asked Questions Who is eligible to enroll? All Baltimore City Public Schools Employees and their dependents. Eligible dependents are covered until the end of the month in which they turn age 26 regardless of student status. How do I find a preferred dentist? You can access an online directory of Dentists 24 hours a day at Under the Solution Center click on Find a Doctor. Then choose Dental under provider type and select Preferred Dental (PPO). Once you are on this page, you can find all the dentists in your area by putting in a zip code, city and state, or you can check to see if your dentist is in our network by typing their last name under option 3. How much will I have to pay for dental services? The chart on page 5 gives you an overview of many of the covered services along with the percentage you will pay for each class of services, both in and out-of-network. Is there a lot of paperwork? There is no paperwork when you use a dentist in our Preferred Dental Network. If you see a nonparticipating dentist, you may be required to pay all costs at the time of care, and then submit a claim form in order to be reimbursed for covered services. Who can I call with questions about my dental plan? Call CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield toll free at (866) Baltimore City Public Schools 4

6 Summary of Dental PPO Benefits Dental Benefits Preventive & Diagnostic Services (Class I) Oral Exams (two per benefit period) Cleanings (two per benefit period) Bitewing X-rays (two procedures per benefit period) Full mouth X-ray or panoramic and bitewing X-ray combination and one cephalometric X-ray (once per 36 months) Fluoride treatments (two per benefit period per member, up to age 19) Sealants on permanent molars (once per tooth per 36 months per member, up to age 19) Space maintainers for prematurely lost posterior baby teeth (once per 60 months) Emergency oral exam and palliative treatment Basic Services (Class II) Fillings using approved materials (one filling per surface per 12 months) Oral surgery (treatment for cysts, tumor and abscesses) General anesthesia rendered for a covered dental service Tooth extractions Major Services (Class III) Tooth scaling and root planing (once per 24 months, one full mouth treatment) Gum surgery including bone surgery, tissue surgery and bite adjustments (once per 60 months) Root canal treatment Full and/or partial dentures (once per 60 months) Fixed bridges, crowns, implants, inlays and onlays (once per 60 months) Denture adjustments and relining (limits apply for regular and immediate dentures) Recementation of crowns, inlays and/or bridges (once per 12 months) Repair of prosthetic appliances as required (once in any 12 month period per specific area of appliance) Orthodontic Services (Class IV) Benefits for orthodontic services (braces) are available for covered members who meet treatment criteria. Covered services are limited to 36 consecutive months of covered services. Annual Deductible and Maximum (In and Out-of-Network) Coinsurance In-Network No Charge 20% of Allowed Benefit after deductible 1 40% of Allowed Benefit after deductible 50% of Allowed Benefit 1 You Pay Coinsurance Out-of-Network Difference between CareFirst s payment and the Non-Participating Dentist s Charges 2 20% of Allowed Benefit after deductible 2 40% of Allowed Benefit after deductible 50% of Allowed Benefit 2 $50 Individual / $150 Family Deductible (applies to classes II and III) $1,500 Orthodontic Lifetime Maximum $1,500 Annual Maximum 1 For in-network providers, plan payment is based on dental plan's negotiated fee schedule. After the deductible is met, Preferred dentists accept 100% of the Allowed Benefit as payment in full for covered dental services. 2 If you use an out-of-network provider, you will need to pay the provider and will be reimbursed by the plan using an out-of-network plan allowance schedule. Your out-of-pocket costs will most likely be higher. Non-Participating Dentists may bill the Member for the difference (if any) between the Allowed Benefit and the Non-Participating Dentist s actual charge for Covered Dental Services. Summary of Exclusions Not all services and procedures are covered by your benefits contract. This plan summary is for comparison purposes only and does not create rights not given through the benefit plan. 5 Baltimore City Public Schools

7 Dental Benefit Summary Comparison This chart shows key differences between the DHMO 5000S Plan and the DPPO Plan Estimated Out-of-Pocket expenses. ADA procedure code Description 120 Periodic Oral Evaluations (once per 6 months) DHMO s PPO In-Network 2 Out-Network 3 $0.00 $0.00 $ Bitewings-Two Films $0.00 $0.00 $ Panoramic Film $0.00 $0.00 $ Prophylaxis (cleaning) - Adult (once per 6 months) 1120 Prophylaxis (cleaning) - Child (once per 6 months) $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $ Amalgam - One Surface, Permanent $0.00 $9.90 $ Amalgam - Three Surface, Permanent $0.00 $15.12 $ Resin-Based Composite, One Surface, Anterior $0.00 $12.24 $ Resin-Based Composite, Three Surface, Anterior $0.00 $18.54 $ Crown - Porcelain/High Noble Metal $ $ $ Crown - Porcelain/Noble Metal $ $ $ Molar Root Canal $185.00/$ $ $ Osseous Surgery $196.00/$ $ $ Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing-Quad $40.00/$ $48.00 $ Complete Denture - Upper $ $ $ Extraction, Erupted Tooth or Exposed Root $40.00/$ $13.86 $ Surgical Extraction of Erupted Tooth $40.00/$ $24.84 $ Removal of Impacted Tooth - Completely Bony $85.00/$ $45.18 $ Comprehensive Orthodontic Treatment - Adolescent $1, $1, $3, Palliative Treatment $15.00 $0.00 $ Benefits are available in-network only. 2 Member estimated out-of-pocket expense when services are rendered by a CareFirst Preferred Participating Dentist without consideration of deductible or annual benefit maximum. 3 Member estimated out-of-pocket expense based upon dentist fee at 50th percentile of 2007 NDAS schedule without consideration of deductible or annual benefit maximum. Member subject to balance billing over and above this amount. 4 Allowed Benefit ($4,698) minus the $1,500 Ortho Lifetime Maximum. 5 Member copayment when service rendered by Participating Specialist. This document is for comparison purposes only and does not create rights not given through the benefit plan. Baltimore City Public Schools 6

8 10455 Mill Run Circle Owings Mills, MD CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is the business name of CareFirst of Maryland, Inc. and is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Registered trademark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Registered trademark of CareFirst of Maryland, Inc. BOK5182-1S (8/10)