Plan Benefits
Dental insurance makes it easy to go to the dentist by minimizing out-of-pocket costs for routine dental check-ups, expensive procedures and most things in between.
Endowed Faculty & Staff
Mention your Cornell Employee ID when you call MetLife’s Dental Call Center. You can also provide your Cornell Employee ID to your dentist so they can submit claims on your behalf. They may still require you to provide your social security number but let them know MetLife will be able to process your claim with your Cornell Employee ID. If you haven’t enrolled on MyBenefits, you can use your Cornell Employee ID to register.
Manage Your Endowed Dental Benefits
Once enrolled in a MetLife dental plan, you can manage your benefits through the MyBenefits website. You can view your claims, print an ID card and more.
Cornell University Endowed Dental Plan Highlights
Watch a recorded presentation on the benefits of your dental insurance plan options with MetLife.
Dental Insurance
Eligibility and Enrollment: Endowed faculty and staff who work at least 20 hours per week, or 50% FTE, and who are included in payroll/benefit classifications designated by Cornell are eligible to apply for coverage under the Endowed Dental Insurance Plan. Your spouse/domestic partner and children are eligible. Children may be covered through December 31 of the year in which their 26th birthday occurs.
New endowed faculty and staff have 60 days from the date of hire to enroll. If you experience a qualifying event (e.g., marriage), you must enroll within 60 days. Once you enroll, unless you experience a change in family status, you cannot stop or change your election until the next annual open enrollment period. Changes in family status include but are not limited to, birth, marriage, divorce, termination, and dependent death.
Effective Date of Coverage: Changes made during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1. Outside of Open Enrollment, your benefits will become effective on the first day of the pay period after your date of hire or qualifying event (e.g., marriage, divorce). If your date of hire or qualifying event is the first day of the pay period, your effective date is the date of your hire/qualifying event.
Provider Flexibility: MetLife’s Preferred Dentist Program is a Dental PPO program. Each plan member is free to visit any licensed dentist, in or out-of-network, and receive benefits. In addition, family members do not need to see the same provider.
- Dental Network†: Members can typically save 30-45% on out-of-pocket costs when visiting an in-network provider in either the Dental Standard or Dental Plus plans.
Eyebrow
You have 2 MetLife Plan Options:
Dental Standard and Dental Plus.
Choose the benefit level that suits your needs.
| Dental Standard | Dental Plus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic/Service | In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
| Deductible | No deductible for Type A, B & C |
No deductible for Type A, $50 per member deductible per calendar year for Type B & C, $150 (3 individual $50) family deductible*per calendar year for Type B & C |
No deductible for Type A, $50 per member deductible per calendar year for Type B & C, $150 (3 individual $50) family deductible* per calendar year for Type B & C |
|
| Annual Maximum Benefit** | $1,250/per member |
$5,000/per member |
||
| Orthodontia Lifetime Maximum Benefit³ | $1,000/per member (child only through age 18) |
$2,000/per member (you, spouse/domestic partner, child through age 18) |
||
| Preventive Plus | Type A services will not reduce available maximum |
Type A services will not reduce available maximum |
||
Type A: Preventive & Diagnostic Services
| Dental Standard | Dental Plus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic/Service | In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
| Plan Benefit | 100% of Negotiated Fee¹ | 90% of R&C⁴ | 100% of Negotiated Fee¹ | 100% of R&C⁴ |
| Exams | 4 per year | 4 per year | ||
| Bitewings | 2 per year | 2 per year | ||
| Full Mouth/Panoramic Xray | 1 per 3 years | 1 per 3 years | ||
| Cleanings | 4 per year | 4 per year | ||
| Fluoride | 2 every year; through age 18 | 2 every year; through age 18 | ||
| Sealants | Through age 16 | Through age 16 | ||
| Space Maintainers | 1 per lifetime per area of the mouth | 1 per lifetime per area of the mouth | ||
Type B: Basic Restorative Services
| Dental Standard | Dental Plus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic/Service | In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
| Plan Benefit | 90% of Negotiated Fee¹ | 70% of R&C⁴ | 90% of Negotiated Fee¹ | 90% of R&C⁴ |
| Fillings | Resin or white fillings considered on all teeth | Resin or white fillings considered on all teeth | ||
| Surgical Extractions | Extractions, impacted teeth, alveolar orgingival reconstruction, cysts, and neoplasms | Extractions, impacted teeth, alveolar orgingival reconstruction, cysts, and neoplasms | ||
| Anesthesia | In connection with oral surgery, extractions or other covered services determined necessary | In connection with oral surgery, extractions or other covered services determined necessary | ||
| Occlusal | Night guards are covered | Night guards are covered | ||
Type C: Major Restorative Services
| Dental Standard | Dental Plus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topic/Service | In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
In-Network¹ |
Out-of-Network² |
| Plan Benefit | 50% of Negotiated Fee¹ | 50% of R&C⁴ | 50% of Negotiated Fee¹ | 50% of R&C⁴ |
| Endodontics | Root canal | Root canal | ||
| Periodontics | Root planing, gingivectomy | Root planing, gingivectomy | ||
| Crowns | 1 crown per tooth every 5 years | 1 crown per tooth every 5 years | ||
| Bridges; Dentures | 1 per 5 years | 1 per 5 years | ||
| Implants | 1 implant per tooth every 5 years | 1 implant per tooth every 5 years | ||
Enroll in dental coverage October 28 – November 15
Benefit eligible faculty and staff can enroll or make changes to their dental coverage during Open Enrollment. If no changes are made, your current elections will remain in place for the 2025 plan year.
† Based on MetLife data. In-network dentists have agreed to accept negotiated fees as payment in full for covered services, subject to any deductibles, copayments, cost sharing and benefits maximums. Negotiated fees are typically 30 - 45% less than average charges in the same community and are subject to change. Savings from enrolling in a dental benefits plan will depend on various factors, including the cost of the plan, how often participants visit a dentist and the cost of services rendered.
* Services incurred for both in and out of network services will be combined to meet the overall yearly annual calendar deductible under your plan. Cornell’s individual deductible is $50 per member and $150 per family (3 individuals each meeting the $50 deductible) per calendar year. Once the family deductible is met then no additional family members need to meet a deductible for the current calendar year.
** Services incurred in and out of network are combined for the overall yearly annual maximum of your plan.
1 In-network refers to benefits provided under this program for covered dental services that are provided by a participating dentist. Negotiated fee refer to the fees that participating dentists have agreed to accept as payment in full for covered services, subject to any copayments, deductibles, cost sharing and benefits maximums. Negotiated fees are subject to change.
2 Out-of-network refers to benefits provided under this program for covered dental services that are not provided by a participating dentist.
3 We recommend you receive a pre-treatment estimate from your provider to determine estimated costs of your orthodontia treatment. Note: Lifetime Maximum for Orthodontia treatment is up to $1,000 per person under the Dental Standard Plan and up to $2,000 per person under the Dental Plus Plan. Orthodontia covers children through age 18 in both the Dental Standard and Dental Plus plans. Adult orthodontia is only covered under the Dental Plus plan and only covers you and your spouse.
4 R&C fee refers to the Reasonable and Customary charge, which is based on the lowest of (1) the dentist’s actual charge, (2) the dentist’s usual charge for the same or similar services, or (3) the charge of most dentists in the same geographic area for the same or similar services as determined by MetLife.
Group dental insurance policies featuring the Preferred Dentist Program are underwritten by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY 10166.
Like most group benefit programs, benefit programs offered by MetLife and its affiliates contain certain exclusions, exceptions, reductions, limitations, waiting periods and terms for keeping them in force. Please contact MetLife or your plan administrator for costs and complete details.