UUP Benefit Trust Fund Dental Q&A

Effective June 1, 2003, the UUP Benefit Trust Fund changed dental carriers from Delta Dental to CIGNA Dental.

Why did we make a change?

Delta Dental continuously increased its payments to the dentists and priced us out of the market. Higher payments to dentists not only ate up Benefit Trust Fund dollars, but also resulted in higher out-of-pocket costs to you.

Did we have to switch carriers?

Yes. We had no choice. But we looked at several options before doing so. To keep Delta we would have had to either significantly reduce Delta's coverage or drop our vision and scholarship programs. Both options were unacceptable. That's why we chose a dental carrier that allows us to maintain our current level of benefits at a lower out-of-pocket cost to you.

How is CIGNA able to maintain benefits?

CIGNA has negotiated greater discounts with its participating dentists and this savings is passed on to you.

Does this mean I have to pay more?

Not if you use a participating provider. Participating providers agreed to a lower network allowance, which means your out-of-pocket cost is less, even though the percentage of the cost you pay is the same. For example, if Delta's allowance was $400 for a crown, the 50% share you pay would have been $200. If CIGNA's allowance is $320, you still pay 50%, but the amount is only $160, a measurable savings for you. We estimate UUPers will save about $1.5 million annually.

What if I use a dentist that does not participate with CIGNA?

You will pay more. CIGNA will make the same payment, but you will be responsible for the balance of the charge beyond that paid by CIGNA. You may want to ask your dentist to consider participating in the CIGNA plan. Contact the Fund and we'll pass the dentist's name on to CIGNA for recruitment.

What if there are no participating dentists in my area?

While CIGNA has as many participating dentists as Delta, there are some areas in New York where CIGNA does not have enough participating dentists. CIGNA is working very hard to address this important issue. UUP continually monitors CIGNA's progress in recruiting new dentists. Recruitment is a top priority for CIGNA and UUP, and we are confident that CIGNA will enlist the services of many new dentists. UUP will continue to monitor CIGNA's progress until our members have a long list of dentists from which to choose.

My dentist tells me Delta is a better plan.

No surprise here. It was a better plan for the dentists. Delta padded the wallets of dentists by paying them more per procedure and by giving them annual raises. Over the years, these practices cost the Benefit Trust Fund more money than we can afford; they cost you more out-of-pocket money, too.