Benefits for Retired Members
June 2011 - Section 10

Pensioners' Dental Services Plan

If you were covered under the Public Service Dental Care Plan as an employee, that coverage ceases immediately when you retire. As a retired member, you may be eligible for coverage under the Pensioners' Dental Services Plan (PDSP).

The PDSP offers coverage to eligible persons who receive a public service pension as a result of having retired from a federal department or certain participating organizations. It covers specific dental services and supplies that are not covered under a provincial or territorial health or dental care plan. As well, the PDSP covers only reasonable and customary dental treatment necessary to prevent or correct a dental disease or defects if the treatment is consistent with generally accepted dental practices.

To have immediate coverage, you must enroll within 60 days from the date of your pension entitlement. Otherwise, coverage will be effective on the first day of the second month following the date the application is received at the Pension Centre.

You are not eligible for coverage if you were affected by divestiture or withdrawal regulations (due to a transfer or sale of an entity or withdrawal of an organization as a participating employer under the Public Service Superannuation Act).

Please note that the PDSP is administered by a different insurance company than the dental plan you were participating in as an employee. Premiums can only be deducted for the PDSP once the Pension Centre has received and approved your application for coverage and your pension commences. It is therefore recommended that you wait until you receive your new certificate number before you make any claims for dental benefits. Coverage will be effective as of your date of retirement if your dental application was received within 60 days of your retirement as mentioned above.

If there are changes to your marital status or to the number of your eligible dependants, you should report them immediately to us.

You can voluntarily withdraw from the PDSP after a specific minimum time period and under certain limited circumstances. The cancellation of your coverage is irrevocable. For more information, please contact the Pension Centre (see Section 1) or consult the PDSP booklet or the Plan rules.

To find out about the latest PDSP contribution rates for pensioners, visit the Your Public Service Pension and Benefits Web portal. Once on the Retired Member profile, simply choose Information Notices on the left navigation bar.