STRS Ohio offers an optional dental plan (administered by Delta Dental) to its benefit recipients and their eligible dependents. Premiums for dental coverage are deducted monthly from your STRS Ohio benefit payment. If your monthly benefit payment is not large enough to deduct the premiums, you will be billed by STRS Ohio for coverage.

STRS Ohio pays the plan’s administrative costs, which may enable you to pay a lower premium than if coverage was purchased through an individual plan.

Enrollment in an STRS Ohio health care plan is not a requirement to enroll in the dental plan.

Once enrolled in the dental plan, you must remain in the plan through Dec. 31, 2008.

Should you experience a “family event,” such as death, divorce, marriage, birth of a child, the addition of a dependent child or an enrolled child who reaches maximum coverage age, please contact STRS Ohio toll-free at 1-888-227-7877 for an explanation of how the change will affect coverage for you and your dependents.

Information will be sent to you about the optional dental plan when you apply for STRS Ohio monthly benefits.