SOA BENEFIT FUND DENTAL PLAN ANNOUNCEMENT

• Significantly More In-Network Providers (“PDP Plus”) A nationwide panel of 535,000 participating in-network dental providers located in all geographic areas where active and retired members live. This includes 25,497 dentists in New York State with over 5,000 in Suffolk and Nassau Counties (compared to only 2,275 for Healthplex).  Met Life has nearly 2,800 dentists in Suffolk County alone.

• Greater Annual Maximum Benefit - A $5,000 per calendar year maximum benefit, per person, which is a 100% increase from the current $2,500 annual maximum benefit. (Implant coverage is included in the $5,000 maximum annual benefit.)

• Greater Lifetime Orthodontia Benefit - A $3,000 per lifetime maximum orthodontia benefit, which is $500 more than the current $ 2,500-lifetime benefit.  Met Life will also provide an additional $500 per lifetime to any individual who previously used the entire $2,500 maximum benefit.

• Little to No Disruption - A disruption report was run which concluded that over 96% of the providers currently in Healthplex’s network are also in Met Life’s and Met Life will engage in efforts to recruit the remaining 4%. For those members who currently use out-of-network dentists through Healthplex, over 50% will now have a dentist in Met Life’s network.

• The Fund office spoke with many of the current in-network providers who participate with Met Life, and they were consistently complementary of Met Life as a company.

• Retirees: One of the most significant features of this plan is that it will provide equal dental benefits to both active and participating retirees, with no deductibles, co-pays or co-insurance for in-network utilization.