SeniorSelect Dental Plan New and Improved

ODS has made substantial changes to the SeniorSelect Dental program to better serve the needs of our members. The changes to our program, which take effect January 1, 2006 , are a direct result of feedback from members and dentists who offered suggestions to improve our dental coverage for older-aged needs.

The old plan design provided an 80 percent benefit for preventive and diagnostic services with no calendar year deductible. It also provided a 50 percent benefit for basic and major services with specific maximums for services such as crowns and dentures. The total calendar year maximum benefit for the old plan was $1,500, and the premium was $24.50 per month.

Our new plan provides a 100 percent/80 percent/50 percent benefit schedule with a $50 deductible and $1,500 annual maximum. The new plan removes the dollar limits of $100 maximum benefit for crowns and $250 maximum for complete and partial dentures and applies all services toward the overall annual maximum. The new plan includes a 12-month waiting period for Class II and III services. We will apply prior coverage credit toward the waiting period if the insured has had 12 continuous months of prior dental credit, including ODS existing SeniorSelect dental coverage. The premium for the new dental plan will be $42 per month. All existing SeniorSelect Dental policyholders will be rolled over onto the new plan and rates, effective January 1.

Due to the significance of the changes in benefit and rates for the new plan, we have offered an open enrollment period to our existing SeniorSelect Medicare Supplement policyholders who did not elect dental upon their original enrollment. Our renewal letter to SeniorSelect policyholders with the January 1 premiums included an open enrollment offer to add the new dental plan for this year. All who accept the open enrollment offer will begin their new dental coverage effective January 1.

Our Medicare Advantage PPO will also include this same dental option and price and, similarly to our SeniorSelect Medicare Supplement plans, requires the dental election upon the initial application for the medical plan.

If you have any questions about the changes we are making to our SeniorSelect Dental Plan, please contact our Individual Marketing Department at 503-243-3973 or 877-277-7073 , or by email at .

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