Dental Plans

MIT offers two dental plan options that pay all or a portion of the expenses for many necessary dental procedures and supplies.

The Plans

  • 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 age 18 and younger. This is the higher-priced option. 

To receive benefits under the plans, your dentist must be part of the Delta Dental of MA network.

Learn more about both plans below, contact Delta Dental, or see the Summary of Benefits for each plan under Publications.

 Delta Dental

Both plans cover

  • 100% of the cost of preventive services that detect or prevent tooth decay or other oral diseases (the services you typically receive during a routine dental check-up)
  • 80% of the cost of basic restorative services that restore or remove diseased, damaged teeth, or treat oral diseases. Prosthetic maintenance includes repairs to bridges or dentures (once within a 12 month period - same repair), rebase or reline of dentures (once within 36 months), and recement of crowns and onlays (once per tooth).

Only the MIT Comprehensive Dental Plan covers

  • 50% of the cost of major restorative services that install dentures, bridges, crowns, inlays, and onlays
  • 50% of the cost to replace missing teeth and restore severely damaged or diseased teeth
  • 50% of the cost of services requiring the use of gold
  • 50% of the cost of orthodontia up to the maximum plan allowance of $1,750 for children through age 18 (adult orthodontia is not covered)

The MIT Comprehensive Dental Plan also allows you to roll over a portion of your unused annual maximum benefit dollars into the next benefit year.

Eligibility

You are eligible for dental plan coverage if any of the following apply:

  • you are paid by MIT
  • are appointed to work at MIT for at least three months, and work at least 50% of the normal full-time work schedule
  • you have a visiting appointment
  • you have a postdoctoral fellowship appointment of at least three months
Who is not eligible
  • contractor
  • affiliate
  • teaching or research assistant (see graduate student benefits)
  • 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.

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.

Participating and nonparticipating dentists

You will enjoy greater benefits when you receive your dental care from a participating dentist in either the Delta Dental PPO or Delta Dental Premier networks.

  • Both networks offer discounted fees and a no balance billing policy.
  • You will receive good value from Delta Dental Premier network dentists who generally accept discounted fees.
  • You will enjoy the greatest savings when visiting Delta Dental PPO network dentists due to even deeper discounts.
  • If you choose to receive services from a non-participating dentist, you will have higher out-of-pocket costs as the Delta Dental contract rates and the no balance billing policy do not apply.

Please visit www.deltadentalma.com to find a participating dentist in your area.

Dental plan comparison chart

  The MIT Basic Dental Plan The MIT Comprehensive Dental Plan
Deductible None $50 per covered member for Type 2 and Type 3 services
Type 1 - Diagnostic & Preventive
Oral exams, cleanings
100% of usual, customary, and reasonable charges 100% of usual, customary, and reasonable charges; no deductible
Type 2 – Basic Restorative
Oral Surgery, Periodontics, Endodontics, Prosthetic Maintenance
80% of usual, customary, and reasonable charges

Filings, extractions, root canals, repairs to bridges or dentures (once within a 12 month period), rebase or reline of dentures, and recement of crowns and onlays.
80% of usual, customary, and reasonable charges after annual deductible
Type 3 – Major Restorative
Prosthodontics, Dentures, Fixed Bridge, Crowns, and Implants
No Coverage 50% of usual, customary, and reasonable charges after annual deductible. Fixed Bridges and crowns when part of a bridge (once within 60 months). Endosteal implant to replace one missing tooth in lieu of a three unit bridge, and when all adjacent teeth do not require crowns (once per 60 months, per implant). Crowns when teeth cannot be restored with regular fillings (once within 60 months per tooth).
Annual Maximum $1,750 per covered member $1,750 per covered member
Orthodontia  (through age 18) N/A 50% of usual, customary, and reasonable charges ($1,750 separate lifetime maximum benefit - not subject to deductible).

Before accepting services from a dental practice, confirm that the office participates in your dental plan, and ask for an estimate of your out-of-pocket expenses for every procedure.

For detailed information on coverage under the Basic and Comprehensive dental plans refer to the plans' Subscriber Certificates below.

Premiums

You and MIT share the cost of your dental plan. You pay your portion through deductions from your MIT pay each pay period. You are not taxed on the deductions that contribute to your dental plan.

As of January 1, 2024
Coverage Tier MIT Basic Dental Plan
  Staff/Faculty Semimonthly Support/
Service Weekly
Postdoctoral Fellow Semimonthly
Employee $3.00 $1.38 $18.50
Employee + Spouse (or Domestic Partner) $10.00 $4.62 $34.00
Employee + Child(ren) $10.00 $4.62 $34.00
Family $15.50 $7.15 $51.00
Coverage Tier MIT Comprehensive Dental Plan
  Staff/Faculty Semimonthly Support/
Service Weekly
Postdoctoral Fellow Semimonthly
Employee $10.50 $4.85 $26.00
Employee + Spouse (or Domestic Partner) $29.50 $13.62 $53.50
Employee + Child(ren) $29.50 $13.62 $53.50
Family $45.00 $20.77 $80.50
Domestic partnership tax information

MIT's policy is the same for domestic partners as it is for married spouses and their eligible dependent children. You and MIT share the cost of coverage for your spouse/partner and/or any eligible dependent children. You should be aware, however, that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposes certain financial and tax regulations on health insurance costs in domestic partnerships.

Enrollment

Use Atlas to enroll in a dental plan within 31 days of your date of hire or appointment. When enrolling a spouse or dependent(s) in dental plan coverage, you must provide documentation (e.g., a marriage license or birth certificate) to MIT Benefits.

Enroll dependents

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. 

Shortly after you enroll a dependent in your benefits, you will receive a letter at your home address from MIT Benefits. 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 is available.

Enroll 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 qualifying 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

Change your coverage

To cancel or make a change to your MIT Dental Plan coverage, use Atlas 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 (below) to MIT Benefits 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 is my period for making changes 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.

Need Help or Have Questions?

Contact MIT Benefits or see the additional contact options below.

Vendor Phone Website
Delta Dental 1-800-872-0500  Delta Dental