Federal employee dental plans (FEDVIP) in Maryland

FEDVIP is open to most federal and Postal Service employees, federal retirees (annuitants), survivor annuitants and people receiving workers’ compensation from the government. Certain uniformed service members and most military retirees can join for dental. Family members can be covered too.

You do not have to be enrolled in a federal health plan (FEHB) to join FEDVIP.

If you qualify in more than one way, for example as a federal employee and a military retiree, you pick one of them to enroll under.

Most people sign up or change plans during open season. It starts on the Monday of the second full week of November and ends on the Monday of the second full week of December.

Outside open season, you can sign up within 60 days of certain events. For example, military retirees have 60 days after retiring. Miss that window and you wait for the next open season.

Enrollment goes through BENEFEDS, not through your agency’s HR office.

FEDVIP is a program, not a single plan. You choose a dental plan from one of the carriers in it, and each carrier has its own network. So the question to ask an office is not “do you take FEDVIP?” but “are you in network for my plan?”

Many offices list the carrier’s name rather than FEDVIP. GEHA, which offers dental plans to federal employees, is listed by a large number of Maryland offices on this site. Check your plan card for the carrier and network name, then ask the office.

• Have your plan card and member ID ready when you call.
• Ask whether the office is in network for your specific plan, not just the carrier.
• Ask about waiting periods for bigger work such as crowns or orthodontics. These depend on the plan you chose.