Dental & Vision Benefits
Information about your benefits under the NYS Dental Plan administered by Anthem and the NYS Vision Plan administered by Davis Vision. As of October 1, 2024, Anthem is the plan administrator for the New York State Dental Plan. Your benefits are not changing; please refer to the Anthem NYS Dental Plan Certificate of Insurance.
Participating Employers with Dental and Vision Benefits
Check the list of agencies below that participate in the NYS Dental and Vision Plans. Contact your agency health benefits administrator if you have questions about dental or vision coverage.
Auxiliary Service Corporation of Farmingdale State College
Battery Park City Authority
Board of Commissioners of Pilots
Capital District Regional Planning Commission
East of Hudson Watershed Corporation
Empire State Performing Arts Center
Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley, Inc.
Horse Breeding Development Fund
Lavelle School for the Blind
Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County
Long Island Power Authority
Nassau County Interim Finance Authority
Natural Heritage Trust
NY Institute for Special Education
NYS Bridge Authority
NYS Canal Corporation
NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University
NYS Dormitory Authority
NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation
NYS Thruway Authority
Purchase College Association
Roswell Park Cancer Center
St Francis Desales School
St Joseph's School for Deaf
St Mary's School for the Deaf
State University Construction Fund
Welfare Research Inc.
Westchester Disabled on the Move, Inc.
New York State Dental Plan
New York State Vision Plan
Plan Documents
For Your Information
NYS Vision Plan Medical Exception Program
If you have diabetes or another medical condition that has changed your vision, it is important to receive an annual eye exam. The Medical Exception Program allows you to receive an eye exam every year, instead of every two years, with a qualifying medical condition. Other qualifying medical conditions include but are not limited to cataracts, keratoconus, cataract surgery within two years of last prescription, and taking prescription drugs that would cause vision changes. Additionally, you are eligible for new lenses or contacts if you experience a significant vision loss due to a qualifying medical condition. A significant prescription change is defined as a minimum change of .75D sphere and/or 1.00D cylinder or more since your last eye examination.
For more information on vision benefits and the Medical Exception Program, contact Davis Vision at 1-888-588-4823 or refer to DavisVision.com.
You must contact your Davis Vision provider and request pre-approval for an additional exam under the Medical Exception Program. Your request must include documentation of a qualifying medical condition from a medical provider who treats your condition.
Your provider will complete the NYS Medical Exception Approval Form and send it to the Davis clinical team with your documentation for review.
Your provider will be notified by Davis of a determination regarding your request or if additonal information is needed.
If approved, your provider will follow up with you on next steps to schedule the appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions PDF Version
Yes, the New York State Dental Plan is now administered by Anthem Blue Cross, effective October 1, 2024. The New York State Dental Plan was previously administered by Emblem Health.
There were no changes to your dental benefits as a result of the change in administrators. To view your current New York State Dental Plan Certificate of Insurance, visit the New York State Health Insurance Plan (NYSHIP) website at cs.ny.gov/employee-benefits. Choose either New York State Active Employee (NY) or Participating Employer (PE), your group (if applicable), your Plan and "Dental & Vision Benefits."
To find out if your preferred provider participates in the Anthem network, visit anthembluecross.com/nys-dental.
If you are a New York State Dental Plan enrollee, select "New York State Dental Plan" under Search for a Dental Provider. You will be directed to the XPO Dental Complete network where you can search for providers by address, doctor name or specialty type.
If you are a Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) New York State Dental Plan enrollee, choose "New York State Dental Plan Student Employee Health Plan- SEHP" under Search for a Dental Provider. You will be directed to the XPO Dental Complete network where you can search for providers by address, doctor name or specialty type. You can filter network results or click on the link for "Dental Discount Program Providers" to view providers who may charge you less than their normal fee for services not reimbursed by the SEHP New York State Dental Plan.
There are some situations where a provider may not be listed, so you can also call Anthem's dedicated New York State Dental Plan toll-free number, 1-833-821-1949, to check participating status.
You can complete the New York State Dental Plan Provider Nomination Form available on anthembluecross.com/nys-dental. The completed form can be submitted to the email address listed on the form.
Yes. You can securely log-in to the NYS Dental Plan website at anthembluecross.com/nys-dental. If you currently have active Empire Plan coverage and have previously set up an account with Anthem to view your Hospital Program benefits, you can use your existing username and password. You can view both your Hospital Program benefits and your dental benefits through the same web portal. If you are a new user, you will need your Anthem Dental Plan ID number, which is located on the front of your ID card, to register for an account. Once registered, you will be able to view your dental benefits and eligibility information.
Anthem also has a Sydney Health mobile app that you can download to your phone or tablet. More information is available at anthembluecross.com/nys-dental.
Please call Anthem's dedicated New York State Dental Plan toll-free number at 1-833-821-1949. You can also securely log in to the New York State Dental Plan website at anthembluecross.com/nys-dental or via the Sydney Health mobile app. Click "ID Cards" on the top of the page and then choose the option to print, email, fax, mail or download your current New York State Dental Plan ID card.
For NYS Enrollees:
For Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) Enrollees:
Yes, Anthem offers Direct Pay policies for eligible members. Individuals can enroll at any time and coverage will be effective on the first of the month following the date they apply. To find out more about available options, visit anthem.com/ny/individual-and-family/dental-insurance.
You should contact the Employee Benefits Division at 1-800-833-4344. If your COBRA plan has expired, or if you want more information about Anthem's Direct Pay policy, please visit anthem.com/ny/individual-and-family/dental-insurance or call the dedicated Anthem NYS Dental Plan toll-free number at 1-833-821-1949.
The dedicated Anthem NYS Dental Plan toll-free number is 1-833-821-1949.
If you are having difficulty finding a participating dental provider near your home address, please reach out to the dedicated Anthem NYS Dental Plan number at 1-833-821-1949 for assistance.