DENTAL

from: Teachers' Association of Lindenhurst

Dear Active and Retired Members,

Five years ago, we negotiated an excellent agreement with Aetna for our dental coverage, which included a 5% rate increase cap for four years. As you know, over the past five years, inflation—particularly within the insurance industry—has significantly outpaced those caps.

Because of these inflationary pressures and the high utilization of our dental benefits, we have faced a very challenging negotiation cycle with Aetna, as well as alternative providers. As of this morning, Aetna’s final negotiated rate proposal was a 39% increase. This is simply unsustainable for our members and the long-term health of the Trust.

Consequently, we will most likely be transitioning to a new insurance carrier. However, even with a provider switch, market inflation and our high usage rates mean that premium increases will still be significant. Through rigorous negotiation, our broker has managed to lower those initial numbers. To ensure the absolute sustainability of the Trust and the best outcome for our membership, we may also need to make adjustments and decrease some benefits.

We expect to have answers by the end of this week or the beginning of next week. As soon as these details are finalized, we will immediately share them with you.

We appreciate your patience during this time—especially our retired members who are currently awaiting billing for the upcoming fiscal year.

The Welfare Trust