---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 8954"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "8954"
heading: "Benefits"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/8954"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart G — Insurance and Annuities"
  - "Chapter 89A — Enhanced Dental Benefits"
---

# §8954. Benefits

- (a) The [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) may prescribe reasonable minimum standards for enhanced dental benefits plans offered under this chapter and for [qualified companies](/usc/5/8951.md?p=5) offering the plans.
- (b) Each contract may include more than 1 level of benefits that shall be made available to all [eligible individuals](/usc/5/8951.md?p=3).
- (c) The benefits to be provided under enhanced dental benefits plans under this chapter may be of the following types:
  - (1) Diagnostic.
  - (2) Preventive.
  - (3) Emergency care.
  - (4) Restorative.
  - (5) Oral and maxillofacial surgery.
  - (6) Endodontics.
  - (7) Periodontics.
  - (8) Prosthodontics.
  - (9) Orthodontics.
- (d) A contract approved under this chapter shall require the [qualified company](/usc/5/8951.md?p=5) to cover the geographic [service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) delivery area specified by the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3). The [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) shall require [qualified companies](/usc/5/8951.md?p=5) to include dentally underserved areas in their [service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) delivery areas.
- (e) If an individual has dental coverage under a [health benefits plan](/usc/5/8901.md?p=6) under [chapter 89](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch89.md) and also has coverage under a plan under this chapter, the [health benefits plan](/usc/5/8901.md?p=6) under [chapter 89](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch89.md) shall be the first payor of any benefit payments.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–496, § 2, Dec. 23, 2004, 118 Stat. 4003.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 23, 2004, and applicable to contracts that take effect with respect to the calendar year 2006, see section 7 of Pub. L. 108–496, set out as a note under section 8951 of this title.