AlaskaCare retirees can switch dental and vision plans through Nov. 25 as premiums rise

Open enrollment opened Wednesday for state retirees in AlaskaCare's dental, vision and hearing plans, and runs until 5 pm Nov. 25.

Only retirees already enrolled in one of the two Dental-Vision-Audio plans, Standard or Legacy, can take part. They can switch plans or add dependents online at AlaskaCare.gov/DVA. Changes take effect Jan. 1. Retirees who do nothing keep their current plan but pay the new rates. Medical coverage isn't affected.

For defined-benefit retirees, premiums go up Jan. 1 by up to $14 a month in Standard and $8 in Legacy, with the same benefits. Retiree-only coverage will cost $83 a month in both plans, up from $77 in Standard and $80 in Legacy. Family coverage rises to $233, from $219 or $225. Rates are a little higher for Defined Contribution and direct-bill retirees, according to the division's rate page.

Retirees pay the full cost of the plans, and premiums also went up last January, Alaska News reported Oct. 14.

Segal, the division's consultant, told a retiree advisory board in September that expenses have exceeded revenue "as part of a planned spend-down," leaving about $9.1 million, within the plans' target range. At the new rates, Segal projected 2027 costs would run about $2.5 million above premiums, with assets staying in the target range through fiscal 2027.

Among the differences, Standard has a $3,000 yearly dental maximum and uses the VSP vision network, while Legacy has a $2,000 maximum and reimburses vision costs. Retirees can lower their coverage anytime in writing, but raising it later requires a qualifying life event, such as marriage or a birth.