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MIT Employee Benefits

Eligibility

You are eligible for dental plan coverage if you are paid by MIT, are appointed to work at MIT for at least nine months, and work at least 50% of the normal full-time work schedule. MORE

Next steps

1. Compare dental plan options.
2. Enroll in or make a change to your existing plan.

Details

Your dental coverage options

MIT offers two distinct dental plans through Delta Dental Plan of Massachusetts.

• MIT Basic Dental Plan
  Covers only preventive and basic restorative care. This is the lower-priced option.

• MIT Comprehensive Dental Plan
  Covers preventive, basic restorative, and major restorative care as well as orthodontia for children ages 18 and younger. This is the higher-priced option.

Compare dental plan rates and options to determine which plan works best for you.

Tiers of coverage

When you select an MIT Dental Plan, you will also choose who will be covered by your plan.

• Choose Individual if you only need to cover yourself.
• Choose Employee + Spouse to cover yourself and your spouse or domestic partner.
• Choose Employee + Children to cover yourself and your children (if you are a single parent or your spouse/domestic partner is covered under another plan).
• Choose Family to cover yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, and your children.
• Dependent children may be covered through the end of the month that they turn age 26, regardless of marital status or tax dependency -- unless they are eligible for another employer-sponsored dental plan.
• If you have a dependent who is disabled, that dependent may be eligible for coverage.

Who is eligible

• you have been appointed—and are currently employed—to work at MIT for at least nine months
• you work at least 50% of the normal full-time work schedule
• you are paid by MIT
• you meet the criteria above and have a visiting appointment
• you have a postdoctoral fellowship appointment of at least nine months

Who is NOT eligible

• contractor
• affiliate
• teaching or research assistant
• honorary lecturer
• summer appointment
• international visiting student
• member of the armed services assigned to MIT
• family member who is not employed by MIT
• work-study student
• paid by MITemps

Members of collective bargaining units

All the plan provisions are subject to the terms of your collective bargaining agreement.

Participating and nonparticipating dentists

Your costs for services under MIT's dental plans are lower when you visit a dentist who participates in the plan's network. Participating dentists

• accept Delta Dental's cost allowance for covered services and treatment
• provide an additional 5% discount to plan members

If you visit a nonparticipating dentist, the plan generally pays only 80% of the amount that would be covered when visiting a participating dentist. Find participating dentists.

Enroll in dental plan coverage

Sign up when you begin work at MIT

Use Employee Self Service (ESS) to enroll in a dental plan within 31 days of your date of hire or appointment—or within 31 days of the date you receive your official Welcome Letter, whichever is later. When enrolling a spouse or dependent(s) in dental plan coverage, you must provide appropriate documentation (e.g., a marriage license or birth certificate) to the Benefits Office.

When you make your benefit elections as a new employee, you also have the opportunity to enroll eligible dependents in MIT’s dental plan. You will need to provide proof of eligibility when you add dependents to your benefits coverage. This process is simple and straightforward. Shortly after you enroll a dependent in your benefits, you will receive a letter at your home address from the Benefits Office. This letter will ask you to submit specific documents demonstrating that your newly enrolled dependent(s) are eligible to receive benefits coverage under MIT's dental plan and will explain how to do so. The types of acceptable documents vary depending on your relationship to your dependent. A list of examples of required documentation (PDF) is available.

Sign up during Open Enrollment

If you do not return your enrollment form within this 31-day period, you must wait until the next annual Open Enrollment period, which takes place in the fall.

Enroll as a result of a life event

If you experience a change in your life that has an impact on your benefits, you can enroll outside the Open Enrollment period. Learn more. 

How to change your dental plan coverage

To cancel or make a change to your MIT Dental Plan coverage, use Employee Self Service during the annual Open Enrollment period.

If you experience a change in your life—marriage, partner's job loss, disability, new baby, change in Medicaid status or insurance coverage—you can make changes to your dental care benefits outside the annual Open Enrollment period.

When you make a change because of a qualifying life event

• your change must be consistent with your life event (such as adding coverage for a new spouse/domestic partner)
• you must return the Health/Dental/Vision Plan Change Form (PDF) to the MIT Benefits Office within the specified period
• your change will be effective on the date of the qualifying event
• you must provide appropriate documentation (e.g., a marriage license or birth certificate)

Find out which life events qualify you to make changes to your benefits—and the time frame for making those changes.

Why the period for making changes is limited

Most of the benefits plans offered through MIT are paid with pre-tax dollars. In exchange for this tax advantage, you are prohibited from enrolling in, canceling, or making changes to those plans outside the annual Open Enrollment period, unless you experience a qualifying change in your work or family life.