Joining A Dental Plan
As a part of a comprehensive benefits package, the City of Chicago provides a Dental Plan to help address your health care needs. The City's Dental Plan recognizes that dental care needs are different for everyone. As a result, the City offers you a choice between two dental plans: the Dental HMO or the Dental PPO. Please take the time to review the benefits of both plans before selecting the one that best meets your needs.
Who Is Eligible
You must be an active full-time City employee with one year of continuous service and you must be enrolled in a City medical plan to be eligible for dental coverage:
If you enroll for medical coverage at the
time you are hired, your dental coverage will be effective
one year after your medical coverage began.
If you enroll for medical coverage during
an Open Enrollment Period or as a result of an eligible
change in family status, you must still complete one year of
continuous service before your dental coverage begins.
Coverage will be effective the first day of the month
following the anniversary of your continuous service date.
If you have completed one year of service
and you enroll for medical coverage during an Open Enrollment
Period or as a result of an eligible change in family status,
your dental coverage will be effective at the time your
medical coverage begins.
You are not eligible to participate in this plan if you are:
a seasonal employee scheduled to work less
than 180 days in a calendar year;
a seasonal employee who has not completed 365 days of service;
hired for a temporary program;
an emergency appointment employee;
paid by voucher;
a Library Page;
a part-time employee regularly scheduled
to work less than 84 hours a month; or
an employee earning less than the Grade 1,
Step 1 salary in Schedule B of the Salary Resolution issued
by the Department of Personnel.
Your Eligible Dependents
If your spouse is covered by your Medical Plan, he or she is eligible to participate in the Dental Plan. Your dependents are eligible to participate in the Dental Plan if they are enrolled as your dependents under the Medical Plan and they are:
your domestic partner (see page ME-7)
your unmarried children under age 19,
your unmarried children of any age, who
are certified as physically or mentally disabled and are
incapable of self support. You may continue their coverage as
long as
you remain an eligible employee and provide proof of
incapacitation each year.
The term "children" includes:
natural children,
stepchildren,
children placed in your home for adoption,
legally adopted children, and
children in your custody under legal
guardianship.
No Dual Coverage
You may be covered under the Dental Plan as either an employee or a spouse; you may not be covered as both.
When Coverage Begins
Coverage for You
If you are an active full-time City employee with one year of continuous service, your dental coverage will be effective one year after your medical coverage began unless there is a break in service.
Coverage for Your Dependents
If you are a new employee, your eligible spouse's and dependent's dental coverage begins at the same time your coverage begins. If you enroll your eligible spouse or dependents in a Medical Plan after your initial enrollment, their coverage begins when you have properly completed the enrollment process.
Enrolling in a Plan
If you are a newly eligible employee, a package of information including a Dental Plan Enrollment Form, will be mailed to your home 30-45 days before your eligibility date. The form can also be downloaded from the City of Chicago web site: www.cityofchicago.org/finance. When you complete the form, you must select between two dental plans: the DHMO Plan or the PPO Plan. If you choose the DHMO Plan, you must also provide the name of the participating DHMO dentist that you select.
You must complete the Enrollment Form and return it to the Risk and Benefits Division within 30 days. If you do not complete and return the enrollment form by the due date indicated in the letter (generally 30 days before your eligibility date), you will automatically be enrolled in the PPO Plan.
You will not be able to change to the DHMO Plan until the next open enrollment period, which takes effect the following January 1st.
You may not have dental coverage if you are not enrolled in a City medical plan.
Open Enrollment
Each year, you will have the opportunity to change plans during the open enrollment period.
Plan Cost
If you are an active employee enrolled in the Medical
Plan offered by the City, you pay no additional cost for
dental coverage.
November 2002