OPERS Vision and Dental Plans
Anyone receiving a monthly OPERS benefit payment qualifies to enroll in the optional OPERS vision and dental plans, even if you don’t qualify for the Health Reimbursement Arrangement. However, your net monthly benefit payment must be enough to cover the full premium amount.
You may also enroll the following eligible dependents:
- The spouse of a primary benefit recipient.
- A biological or legally adopted child of the primary benefit recipient who is under the age of 26 (regardless of marital status) or the minor grandchild of the primary benefit recipient if the grandchild is born to an unmarried, unemancipated minor child and you are ordered by the court to provide coverage pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 3109.19.
Benefit recipients of a deceased retiree or member
If you receive a monthly benefit from OPERS, you may enroll in the OPERS vision and or/dental plans. You may also enroll only those dependents who would have been eligible dependents of the deceased retiree or member as defined on this page.
It is your responsibility to notify OPERS, in writing, within 30 days of the date your dependent fails to meet eligibility requirements. Failure to notify OPERS could result in overpaid claims or reimbursement for which you will be responsible to repay.
When can I enroll in the vision and/or dental plan?
You may enroll only prior to or within 30 days of receiving your first benefit payment or during the annual open enrollment period. Outside of open enrollment, you can also enroll if you have experienced a life change (or a qualifying event). A qualifying event can be an involuntary loss of coverage from another source. You must tell us of such an event, complete an enrollment application and provide supporting documentation of the qualifying event within 60 days. If OPERS does not receive the required supporting documents within 60 days, you cannot be enrolled. View and download the enrollment form.
After you enroll, you (and any enrolled dependents) must stay enrolled until the next open enrollment period unless you have a change in family status, including a divorce, death or a child reaches age 26. In order to avoid any overpayments, you must notify OPERS immediately if you have a change in family status.
If you are enrolled in a vision and/or dental plan with both OPERS and another insurance carrier, take some time to review your coverage needs to determine if both plans are needed.
When can I enroll eligible dependents?
If you are enrolled in OPERS vision and/or dental plan, you may enroll eligible dependents in the same plan, and at the same level option (low or high), when you first enroll or during open enrollment. Outside of open enrollment, you can enroll eligible family members if they have experienced a life change (or a qualifying event). A qualifying event can be a benefit recipient's marriage, birth or adoption of a child, or an involuntary loss of coverage from another source on the part of an eligible dependent. You must tell us of such an event, complete an enrollment application and provide supporting documentation of the qualifying event within 60 days. If OPERS does not receive the required supporting documents within 60 days, eligible dependents cannot be enrolled. View and download the enrollment form.
How will premiums for the OPERS vision and dental plans be paid?
Your net benefit payment must be enough to cover the full premium amount to be enrolled. Your premium cost for the plan(s) in which you are enrolled will be deducted from your benefit payment each month. If a change occurs and your net benefit payment is not enough to cover the full premium, ALL enrollments will be terminated.
Are my premiums automatically reimbursed from my HRA?
If you are receiving a monthly Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) deposit from OPERS, for your convenience, we send a file to Via Benefits the first of every month that includes all premiums paid for that month. If you want to opt out of Automatic Premium Reimbursement for a particular product (vision or dental), you may do so after you receive your first premium reimbursement for that product. To opt out, call Via Benefits or sign into your online profile. Select View Accounts under Funds & Reimbursement and scroll to your Automatic Premium Reimbursement.