MetLife, a US life insurer, has been chosen as an official partner for the US Department of Veterans Affairs Dental Insurance Program (VADIP), for which enrollment started on 15 November, while the coverage begins from 1 January 2014.
Sponsored by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the VADIP is a new three-year national pilot program, which has been designed to offer over 8.6 million eligible Veterans the opportunity to buy voluntary dental insurance for themselves and their family members.
Participation in the program is open to Veterans registered for the VA health care program and eligible family members who are beneficiaries of the VA's Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA).
MetLife group dental and vision vice president Christen White said, "MetLife's VADIP coverage options provide benefits and savings designed to encourage beneficiaries to take charge of their oral health and get the care they and their families need."
"In addition to savings through negotiated fees, MetLife also supports plan participants through high-quality standards for our network and a claims process that helps protect participants against inappropriate costs and care."
MetLife will offer two options, Standard and High, through the program. Enrollment in the program will be evergreen and not limited to a specific enrollment period. After November 15, 2013, beneficiaries can enroll in either plan as they become eligible.
The program will have MetLife's PDP Plus network, which caters access to more than 256,000 participating dental offices.
Under the plan, VADIP beneficiaries can consult with any licensed dentist and receive benefits for covered services, although their out-of-pockets costs will usually be lower when they receive in-network care due to network discounts on dental charges.
The program is available in all states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
