Dental Benefits

Eligible Employees

To be eligible for dental coverage:

• An employee must be appointed at least half-time (equivalent to 7.5 Weighted Teaching Units for academic year appointments) for more than six months, or;
• If employed in an R03 Lecturer or Coach Academic Year position, employee must be appointed for at least six (6) weighted teaching units for at least one semester, or two or more consecutive quarter terms.
• Qualifying appointments may be either permanent or temporary.

Once an employee has acquired eligibility and has enrolled in a plan, he/she may continue enrollment during subsequent continuous appointments of at least half-time regardless of the duration of the new appointment.

Non-Eligible Employees

Employees excluded from dental benefits include:

• Intermittent employees
• Student assistants
• Graduate assistants
• Faculty employed solely to teach summer session, extension, or intersession
• Any employee paid from funds not controlled by the California State University or from revolving or similar funds from which a regular California State University premium payment cannot be made.

Eligible Dependents

Eligible dependents of an eligible employee include:

• Spouse (unless legally separated or divorced)
• Domestic partner (registered through the Secretary of State process), and
• Dependent children from birth to the end of the month in which the child reaches 26. A dependent child includes a stepchild, a natural born child, or a child living with the employee in a parent-child relationship who is economically dependent upon the employee.

Dependents become eligible coincident with the Eligible Employee or upon attainment of dependent status. Newborn infants are eligible for medical coverage from and after the moment of birth. Adopted children are eligible for medical coverage from and after the moment the child is placed in the physical custody of the Eligible Employee for adoption.

Domestic Partners

State law allows, under specific conditions, for persons in the State of California to register non-marital relationships with the Secretary of State. This law also will recognize same-sex and opposite sex legal unions, other than marriage, validly formed in another jurisdiction that is substantially equivalent to a registered domestic partnership in California. Consequently, CalPERS will require information specific to the domestic partnership to determine whether or not a particular state/jurisdiction law will be recognized. Having obtained registration of the relationship, the law allows the registered individuals to obtain health benefits under the standard eligibility rules of the Public Employees' Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA). The California State University (CSU) elected to adopt the provisions of this law offering health care coverage (medical, dental and vision) for domestic partners of CSU employees and annuitants subject to the Secretary of State approval process and the CalPERS' acceptance process. Effective 1/1/2020 Assembly Bill (AB) 30 removed the age 62 requirement for opposite-sex domestic partners. For more information, please visit TL-BEN2020-09​.

Current Domestic Partner Tax Dependent Certification Form

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**The IRS has ruled that the actual cost of the domestic partner benefit is taxable income to the employee. Federal income, social security and Medicare taxes are deducted monthly from the employee’s paycheck upon addition of a domestic partner to the health and/or dental plans.

***Employees who enroll dependents age 24 - 25 may incur additional state income tax liability.

Required Documents

If you plan to enroll any dependents (spouse and/or children), please have the following documents and information available at the Orientation:

• Marriage Certificate (spouse) or
• Declaration of Domestic Partnership (Domestic Partner)
• Birth Certificate (dependent child under 26) or
• Adoption Certificate (adopted child under 26)
• Affidavit of Eligibility for Economically Dependent Children (economic dependent under 26)
• Social Security numbers are required for all dependents

*** All documents must be in English. If they are not, they must be translated and notarized prior to submission.***

• Employees can enroll in Delta Dental PPO for themselves and their eligible dependents.
• Both plans are administered by Delta Dental of California.
• The premiums for these dental plans are paid by the CSU.
• When you have made your choice, fill out a Dental Enrollment Form, return the completed form to Benefits and Retirement Services. Please remember to include all supporting documentation when submitting to Human Resources.
• When you go to your dentist, be sure to provide them with your group number.

Additional Resources

• Benefits Highlights — Basic
• Benefits Highlights — Enhanced Level I
• Benefits Highlights — Enhanced Level II
• Evidence of Coverage
• Understand the difference between Delta Dental Premier^® and Delta Dental PPO.

Employee Eligibility

An employee covered by a CSU health plan has a right to choose continuation coverage if group health coverage is lost because:

1. Of a reduction in work hours; or
2. The termination of employment (other than due to gross misconduct).

Spouse or Domestic Partner Eligibility

A spouse or domestic partner of an employee, covered by a CSU health plan, has the right to choose continuation coverage if group health coverage is lost for any of the following reasons:

1. The death of the employee;
2. Termination of employee's employment or reduction in employee’s work hours;
3. Div​orce, legal separation, or dissolution of domestic partnership from the employee; or
4. Employee becomes entitled to Medicare.

Dependent Child Eligibility

A dependent child of a covered employee has the right to continuation coverage if group health coverage is lost for any of the following reasons:

1. The death of the parent (employee);
2. The termination of the parent's employment or reduction in the parent's work hours with the CSU;
3. The parents' divorce, legal separation, or dissolution of domestic partnership;
4. The parent (employee) becomes entitled to Medicare; or
5. The dependent ceases to be a "dependent child" under the CSU health plan.

If an employee does not choose continuation coverage, the employee's coverage will end. However, the employee's spouse or domestic partner and/or eligible dependents may elect continuation coverage, independent of the employee's rejection.