Skip to main content
  • Duke@Work
  • About HR
  • Managers
Home

Human Resources

Search form

  • Careers
    • Search/Apply for Jobs
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Duke Temporary Service (DTS)
    • About Duke
    • Job Descriptions
    • Affirmative Action & Nondiscrimination
  • Benefits
    • Medical, Dental, & Vision Benefits
    • Reimbursement Accounts
    • Employee Discounts
    • Retirement Plans
    • Time Away From Duke
    • Educational Benefits
    • Family-Friendly Benefits
    • Financial Security Benefits
    • Benefits Unique to Duke
    • Employee Appreciation
    • Benefits Enrollment
    • Summary Plan Descriptions & Required Notices
  • Health & Wellness
    • Get Moving Challenge
    • LIVE FOR LIFE
    • Health Assessments
    • Farmers Market
    • Mobile Farmers Market
    • Duke Fitness Club
    • Run/Walk Club
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Mental Health & Stress
    • Webinars
    • Personal Assistance Service (PAS)
    • Health Coaching Programs
    • Nutrition Programs
    • Tobacco Cessation
    • DukeWELL
    • Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW)
    • Workers' Compensation
  • Compensation
    • Pay Statements
    • Pay Schedules & Forms
    • Pay Ranges & Job Classifications
    • Overtime Changes
  • Training
    • Learning Management System
    • Course Offerings
    • Special Development Programs
    • Career Resource Center
    • Consulting & Organization Development
    • Location & Facilities
  • Policies
    • Recruitment, Hiring, & Transferring
    • Diversity & Institutional Equity
    • Workplace Expectations & Guidelines
    • Staff Development
    • Benefits
    • Pay Administration
    • Payroll
    • Time Away From Duke
    • Workplace Health & Safety
    • International
    • Definitions
  • Forms
    • Benefits Forms
    • Manager Forms

You are here

  • Home
  • Benefits
  • Medical, Dental, & Vision Benefits
  • Dental Insurance

Dental Insurance

Network of Providers

Duke has an expanded network of providers who have agreed to accept usual and customary (U&C) for covered services. Under the dental plans, participants are still able to visit any licensed dentist. You can find a network provider by calling Ameritas at 1-800-487-5553 or by visiting the Ameritas web site.

Duke employees can choose from three dental options that offer different levels of coverage and different ways of choosing a dentist. Duke's dental plans are available to retirees who have continued their dental insurance in retirement.

All three plans cover some or all of the cost of:

  • preventive procedures such as exams and cleaning,
  • basic services such as fillings, sealants, denture repair and removal of teeth, and
  • major services such as crowns, dentures and root canals.

Please refer to the Dental Plan Comparison Chart and the Dental Plan Premiums for further details.

Fee schedules for all three plans are available on the Ameritas website.

Preferred Provider Option (PPO) Plan

The PPO plan includes a higher maximum annual benefit than Plan A and Plan B, lower negotiated procedure rates and your out of pocket costs are usually lower. However, participants in the PPO will need to select an in-network provider. If you select the PPO and use an out-of-network provider, the amount the plan pays will be based on discounted network charges and you will be responsible for any amount charged over that allowance. A list of network dentists is available at ameritas.com or by calling Ameritas at 1-800-755-8844.

Plan A and Plan B

If you enroll in Plan A, you can select any licensed dentist of your choice. You may also choose to use a network provider. Using a network provider will limit your out of pocket cost. Also, if you utilize a network provider, the deductible is waived for all covered procedures.

Plan B provides a very basic benefit and payments are based on a fixed schedule of fees. The schedule for Plan B is available on the Ameritas website at ameritas.com. You should review the fixed schedule before selecting this option.

How to Increase Your Annual Maximum Benefit

All three plans have an annual maximum benefit. If you reach this annual maximum benefit, Ameritas will not reimburse any additional services for the remainder of the calendar year. Dental plan members who have at least one covered dental claim filed in calendar year 2019, with less than $500 in claims payments, will have their annual maximum benefit increased by $250 in 2020. This accumulation can continue each year until the annual maximum has increased in the PPO plan from $1,250 to $2,250; on Plan A from $1,000 to $2,000; and on Plan B from $750 to $1,750.

Late Entrant Restrictions on Benefits for 2021

If you and/or your dependent(s) are not currently enrolled for dental coverage through Duke and enroll for 2021, you and/or your dependent(s) will be considered a "late entrant." As a "late entrant" your benefits during 2021 will be limited to preventive services: two preventive routine care exams (not including X-rays), two prophylaxis (routine) cleanings, and for children under age 19, one fluoride application. No other dental or orthodontia procedures or services will be covered during the first 12 months, if a member is enrolled as a late entrant.

Periodontal procedures, including maintenance/ cleanings, would not be covered during this 12-month period.

Once you have been enrolled in a Duke dental plan for at least 12 months, the plan will also cover basic and major procedures such as fillings, extractions, crowns, root canals and periodontal treatment (including periodontal maintenance which applies towards cleaning frequency).

This 12-month waiting period does not apply:

  • if you are switching from one Duke dental plan to another Duke plan,
  • if you enroll an eligible dependent within 30 days of a qualifying event such as marriage or adoption, or
  • if you add a child during an open enrollment period prior to his/her second birthday.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, & Vision Benefits
    • Medical Insurance
      • Plan Comparison (2021)
      • Premiums (2021)
      • HMO Plans
      • PPO Plans
      • Medical Benefits Abroad
      • Retiree Health Insurance
        • Duke Plus
        • Early Retiree Health Plans
      • Health Management Programs
      • Infertility Benefits
      • Bariatric Surgery
      • 1095-C Tax Form
      • Expanded Health Insurance Coverage for COVID-19 Medical Care
      • Expanded Health Insurance Coverage for Virtual Visits
    • Dental Insurance
      • Plan Comparison (2021)
      • Premiums (2021)
    • Vision Insurance
      • Plan Chart (2021)
      • Premiums (2021)
      • How to Use the Plan
    • Pharmacy Benefits
      • Covered Drugs
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Retail Pharmacy Vaccinations
    • Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Benefits
      • Providers
      • Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Enroll/Make Changes
    • Coverage & Eligibility
    • Find a Network Provider
    • Privacy Practices
    • Required Notices
  • Reimbursement Accounts
    • Your Personal Account
    • Health Care Account
      • How to File a Claim
      • How to Manage Your Account
      • Health Care Card
      • Eligible & Ineligible Expenses
      • Orthodontia
      • IRS Rules
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • IIAS-Compliant Merchants
    • Dependent Care Account
      • How to File a Claim
      • What's Covered?
      • Managing Your Account
    • How the Plan Works
    • EZ Receipts Mobile App
    • Appeal a Denied Claim
    • When Participation Ends
    • Legal Information
    • Changes for 2020 and 2021 Reimbursement Accounts
  • Employee Discounts
    • Vendor Information
    • Vendor Registration Form
  • Retirement Plans
    • Enroll or Make Changes
      • Enroll in Your Duke Retirement Plan
      • Making Changes
      • Roth 403(b) Contributions
      • Vesting of Duke's Contribution
      • Transfer Funds
      • Request a Withdrawal or Loan
        • CARES Act Distributions and Loans
    • About Duke's Plans
      • Employees' Retirement Plan (Non-Exempt)
      • Faculty/Staff Retirement Plan (Non-Exempt)
      • Faculty/Staff Retirement Plan (Exempt)
        • Duke's Contribution
        • Service Requirement Waiver
        • Suspension of the Duke Contribution FAQ
      • 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
    • Tiered Investment Choices
      • Target Date Funds
      • Your Default Investment Options
      • Self-Directed Brokerage Account (BrokerageLink®)
      • TIAA Traditional Annuity
    • Investment Carriers
    • Investment Performance
    • Retirement Planning Guide
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Retirement Enrollment Seminars
    • Retirement Appointment Request
  • Time Away From Duke
    • Holidays, Vacation & Sick Time (University)
      • Holiday Schedule (2020)
      • Holiday Schedule (2021)
      • Additional Days Off (Dec. 1, 2020 - Feb. 28, 2021)
    • Paid Time Off (DUHS)
      • How it Works
      • Time & Attendance
      • Swipe & Go
      • Policies
      • Banks
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Glossary
    • Leaves of Absence
      • Employee Family Medical Leave (University)
      • Family Member's Medical Leave (University)
      • Employee/Family Member Medical Leave (Health System)
      • Care for Injured Service Member (FMLA)
      • Qualifying Exigency (FMLA)
      • Leaves of Absence: Effects on Benefits
    • Paid Parental Leave
      • Paid Parental Leave Changes - August 3, 2020
    • Kiel Memorial Vacation/PTO Donation Program
      • Donations
      • Recipients
      • Important Timelines
      • Payment Process
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Other Work Absences
  • Educational Benefits
    • Employee Tuition Assistance
      • Eligibility
      • How to Apply
      • Reimbursement
      • Departmental/Manager Responsibility
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Children's Tuition Grant
      • How to Apply
      • Employee Eligibility
      • Child Eligibility
  • Family-Friendly Benefits
    • Lactation Support Services
    • Duke Child Care Partnership
    • Duke Camps
    • Duke Children's Campus
      • Part Time Childcare Procedures
      • Wait Pool Registration
    • The Little School at Duke
      • Wait Pool Registration
    • Choosing Child Care
    • Child Care Tuition Subsidy
    • Flexible Work Options
      • Flextime
      • Telecommuting
      • Compressed Work Schedules
      • Job Sharing
      • Abbreviated Schedule or Part-Time Work
      • 10- and 9-Month Arrangements
      • How to Introduce
      • Guidelines for Success
      • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Financial Security Benefits
    • Financial Fitness Week 2020
    • Plan Comparison
    • Disability Benefits
      • Duke Disability
        • Eligibility
        • When Am I Covered?
        • Filing for Benefits
        • Amount of Coverage
        • Benefits While Disabled
        • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Voluntary Disability
        • Short Term Disability
        • Long Term Disability
        • Choosing Coverage
        • Enrollment
        • Cost
        • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Department Manager & Payroll Representative Info
    • Life Insurance
      • Basic Life Insurance
      • Supplemental Life Insurance
        • Supplemental Life Insurance Rate Table
      • Personal Accident Insurance
        • Eligibility
        • Coverage
        • Benefits
      • Business Travel Assistance
        • Stateside Travel
        • Travel/Accident Insurance
      • Insurance Certificate
      • Post-Retirement Group Term Life Insurance
      • Survivor Benefit
      • Universal Life Insurance
      • Plan Information
      • Your ERISA Rights
    • Long Term Care Insurance
    • Property Insurance
    • Duke Credit Union
  • Benefits Unique to Duke
  • Employee Appreciation
    • Duke Appreciation 2019
    • Presidential Award
    • Career Service Awards
  • Benefits Enrollment
    • Information for 4th Quarter (Oct - Dec) New Hires
    • Contact a Plan Provider
    • When Can I Enroll?
    • Life Events Information
      • Getting Married
      • Getting Divorced
      • New Child
      • Death in the Family
      • Leaving Duke
        • COBRA Continuation Insurance
        • Eligibility for Retiree Health
        • Severance Overview
    • Same Sex Spousal Equivalent Information
      • Reimbursement Accounts
    • Benefits Payroll Deduction Schedule
  • Summary Plan Descriptions & Required Notices
    • Summary Annual Report for the Welfare & Fringe Benefits Plan
    • Summary Annual Report for Faculty/Staff Retirement Plan

Human Resources

Duke Human Resources
705 Broad St. Box 90496
Durham, NC 27705
Phone: (919) 684-5600
Have questions?

Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
Duke University
  • Duke University
  • Working@Duke