Dental Insurance

With the Delta Dental DPPO:

To learn about all Delta Dental DPPO benefits, including information on waiting periods and coverage for services in progress, find the Delta Dental DPPO handbook under Publications and Dental PPO on the Partners for Health website. See the certificate of coverage for coverage details.

• Use any dentist but save money by choosing an in-network dentist. The MetLife DPPO plan will use MetLife’s PDP+ network.
• Discuss any estimated expenses with your dentist or specialist. Charges for dental procedures are subject to change. Members pay deductibles and coinsurance.
• Discuss any estimated expenses with your dentist or specialist. Your dentist and you may want to request a pre-treatment cost estimate.

2026 DPPO benefits changes:

• There are no waiting periods for any services
• In-network deductibles will change from $25 to $50 per individual and from $75 to $150 per family with the DPPO
• Two routine office exams and two problem-focused exams will be covered each calendar year
• The orthodontia plan benefit lifetime maximum will increase to $1,500.
• To learn about all MetLife DPPO benefits, including information on coverage for services in progress, find the MetLife DPPO handbook under Publications and Dental PPO on the Partners for Health website. See the certificate of coverage for coverage details.

With the Cigna DHMO:

• You must select and use a Cigna network general dentist from the DHMO list for the state’s dental plan and let Cigna know of your choice.
• You must use your selected dentist to receive benefits.
• You may select a network pediatric dentist as the network general dentist for your dependent child under age 13. The pediatric dentist will be considered a “specialist” for plan benefits. At age 13, you must switch the child to a network general dentist or pay the full charge from the pediatric dentist.
• There may be some areas in the state where network general dentists are limited or not available. Before enrolling, carefully check the network for your location.
• With the DHMO, you may be able to cancel this coverage if you enroll and later there are no network general dentists within a 25-mile driving distance of your home address.
• You pay copays for dental treatments. Review the patient charge schedule under Publications and Dental HMO - Prepaid Provider at https://www.tn.gov/partnersforhealth/publications/publications.html before having procedures performed.
• Lab fees may apply for some procedures and are the responsibility of the member to pay.
• No deductibles to meet, no claims to file, no waiting periods, no annual dollar maximum.
• Preexisting conditions are covered.
• Referrals to specialists by network general dentists are required.
• Teledentistry is available to members at a $0 copay with no frequency limit.
• To learn about all DHMO benefits, including information on waiting periods and coverage for services in progress, find the Cigna DHMO Handbook under Publications and Dental HMO – Prepaid Provider. See the certificate of coverage for coverage details.

*Retired employees may be eligible for dental insurance if they meet the eligibility rules. See below for rules effective January 1, 2026.

1/1/26 - State Retiree – An individual who:

1. was hired before July 1, 2015, has left active employment as a State Employee, and is drawing retirement benefits through the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) based on their own service or is a participant in a Higher Education Optional Retirement Plan (ORP), as permitted by TCA 8-27-205. Employees whose employment with the State commenced on or after July 1, 2015, are not eligible for Coverage as a Retiree unless they were employed by the State or a participating local education agency, as defined in TCA § 8-27-301, before July 1, 2015, and did not accept a lump sum payment from the TCRS before July 1, 2015; or
2. is enrolled in the State’s dental insurance program and is a former governor or retired state of Tennessee senator or representative first elected to office prior to July 1, 2015, and meets the requirements set forth in TCA 8-27-208.

1/1/26 - Local Education Retiree –

(A) An individual who was hired before July 1, 2015, has left active employment as a Local Education Employee, and:

(1) if vested in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), is drawing retirement benefits through TCRS based on their own service, as permitted by TCA 8-27-305; or

(2)  if not vested in TCRS, is at least age 55 at the time of termination with 10 or more years of service with a participating local education agency or 10 or more years of combined service with a participating local education agency and the State.

(B) Employees whose employment with the local education agency commenced on or after July 1, 2015, are not eligible for Coverage as a Retiree unless they were employed by the State or a participating local education agency, as defined in TCA § 8-27-301, before July 1, 2015, and did not accept a lump sum payment from the TCRS before July 1, 2015.

(C) Effective January 1, 2026, and thereafter, eligibility to participate in the state retiree dental plan is only open to Retirees of an LEA that is participating in the state dental plan at the time of retirement. If the LEA subsequently terminates participation in the state dental plan, its retirees are no longer eligible to continue retiree dental coverage.

1/1/26 - Local Government Retiree –

(A) An individual who has retired from the participating employer, and:

(1) if vested in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), receives a monthly benefit through TCRS based on their own service, as permitted by TCA 8-27-705; or

(2) if not vested in TCRS, is at least age 55 at the time of termination with 10 or more years of employment with the participating local government agency from which they retired.

(B) An individual who has retired as a utility district commissioner with 20 or more years of service with the same utility district and is at least age 55 at the time of termination.       

(C) An individual who has retired as a member of the chief legislative body of the county or municipal government (defined as only those elected officials who have the authority to pass local legislation) and is at least age 55 at the time of termination with 10 or more years of service with the participating local government agency from which they retired. 

(D) An individual who has retired as a county official as defined in 8-34-101(9)(A) and (B) and is at least age 55 at the time of termination with 10 or more years of service with the local government agency from which they retired.

(E) Effective January 1, 2026, and thereafter, eligibility to participate in the state retiree dental plan is only open to Retirees of an LGA that is participating in the state dental plan at the time of retirement. If the LGA subsequently terminates participation in the state dental plan, its retirees are no longer eligible to continue retiree dental coverage. This restriction does not apply to county officials as defined in 8-34-101(9)(A) and (B).

If you are enrolled in dental coverage as an ACTIVE employee under a state-sponsored plan and your employment is terminated (separation of service or retirement), you will be given the opportunity to continue your dental coverage for 18 months under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA. A COBRA notification will be mailed to your home address listed in Edison upon the termination of your active coverage. To continue dental coverage through COBRA, you must complete and return the COBRA enrollment form to Benefits Administration within 60 days of the latter of the date active coverage would end or the date on the COBRA notification letter. Please indicate if you are a Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System retiree via a handwritten note on the signature page of the COBRA enrollment form. Continuation of dental insurance is NOT automatic at retirement.

If you do not qualify to continue dental insurance through COBRA or simply wish to enroll in the retiree dental plan upon the termination of your active insurance coverage, you should submit an application directly to Benefits Administration. Please note, you must be a Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System retiree or an optional retirement plan retiree from a higher education agency.

Upon expiration of your COBRA coverage, if you enrolled in this option and you are a retiree receiving a monthly Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System pension or a higher education optional retirement plan participant, you may enroll in the retiree dental plan.

NOTICE: A complete description of the benefits, provisions, conditions, limitations and exclusions for both the Delta Dental and Cigna dental plans will be included in their respective Certificate of Insurance. If any discrepancies exist between the information listed above and the certificates of coverage, the certificates will govern. We recommend you review these documents.