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GIC to switch dental and vision carriers to Altus and VSP; annual dental maximums to rise by $250
Summary
After a procurement, the Group Insurance Commission will move its dental and vision contracts to Altus Dental with VSP partnership, increase annual dental maximums by $250, and align retiree and active plan features; officials said network disruption is not expected.
The Group Insurance Commission announced at its March information session that, following a procurement process, it will change dental and vision carriers for plans the commission offers to eligible members. Altus Dental will be the new dental carrier and will partner with VSP for vision services, GIC staff said.
Cameron McBean, the commission’s director of vendor management, said the GIC received “very good, fully insured, dental premium rates” from Altus, which enabled an increase of $250 in the annual maximum for both active and retiree dental plans. McBean said Altus was the original carrier when the retiree dental plan was first rolled out and that Altus’s network compares favorably to the current carrier; staff do not expect widespread disruption to members’ dentist choices.
The GIC said the active dental plans will move from a calendar-year basis to the GIC plan year to match other benefits under the new contract with Altus. The presentation noted that not all GIC dental and vision offerings are available to every member: state active employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement are eligible for GIC dental and vision offerings; other municipalities or housing authorities may be excluded by prior legislation.
The GIC also announced improvements to vision benefits: annual eye exams will be available to members on those plans (previously exams were covered every other year), and retiree vision discounts will be redeemable at point of sale with participating retailers without prepaying vouchers.
Officials told members the changes apply beginning with the upcoming plan year and that the benefit decision guides published before annual enrollment will include full details and rates. Members were advised to check the member portal or benefit guide for any specific provider or coverage questions.
GIC staff said the enterprise-wide vendor for pharmacy (CVS Caremark for active employees and CVS SilverScript for Medicare plans) and the network plans (Harvard Pilgrim, WellPoint, Health New England and Mass General Brigham) are not changing for FY26.
