What Does a VSP Dental Plan Cover?
VSP is one of the selected insurance carriers for the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which services federal employees and their families; VSP stands for Vision Service Plan and does not cover dental plans as of 2014. Dental companies that offer plans to OPM employees and their families include Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Delta Dental, Dominion Dental, Emblem Heath, GEHA, Human, MetLife, Triple S and United Concordia. Federal employees, families and retirees who qualify for VSP can opt for the additional dental coverage through one of the listed companies.
The available dental plans for federal employees were implemented in 2013, and the contracts with each are in effect for seven years, although premium rates and benefits are negotiated yearly under the terms of the contract.
Depending on the carrier and plan, the dental plan’s coverage, participating dentists and costs may vary. For instance, GEHA (Government Employees Heath Association) offers the standard plan or the high-option plan, each plan’s coverage and costs are different.
In general, a standard plan covers exams, cleanings, maintenance, extractions, fillings, root canals, bridges, crowns and dentures. Employees participating in a dental plan must use an in-network dentist for optimum benefit or pay the difference between the plan’s payment allowance and the actual billing amount for an out-of-network dentist.
