Some Massachusetts Institute of Technology students say they were bothered to learn they were no longer eligible for Boston University’s dental plan, which is available to college students from 22 Boston-area schools.
The BU Goldman School of Dental Medicine canceled the plan this fall, after receiving complaints and cancellations from some MIT students who said the service was not meeting their needs, said MIT Graduate Student Council President Leeland Ekstrom.
Ekstrom said he contacted the dental school administration after the decision was made to cut MIT’s coverage. He spoke with associate dean Dr. Paula Friedman, who oversees the student plan, to find out why the program was canceled for MIT students.
“I asked if cancellations and complaints were used to determine this,” Ekstrom said in an email. “She said yes but did not elaborate on the specifics.”
MIT fourth-year graduate student Sabrina Spencer, who subscribed to the BU plan last year, said she used paid cash for dental care prior to using BU’s plan.
“I calculated that I would save money on average by enrolling in BU’s plan and would also have the safety net of having proper insurance,” Spencer said in an email. “I was rather offended that BU chose to drop MIT students. Our dental needs are surely not different from other students.”
The plan is still available for students from other schools, including Boston College, Emerson College, Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
The dental school website states the one-year plan costs $279 for new subscribers and $249 for renewing subscribers. There are no co-payments or deductibles, and subscribers are treated by BU dental students, who are supervised by licensed dentists.
Services covered by the plan include twice-a-year teeth cleanings, emergency treatment, fluoride treatment, oral examinations, temporary and permanent fillings and X-rays.
The BU plan’s one-time fee “makes budgeting for the year a lot simpler when on the fixed income of a student stipend,” Ekstrom said.
MIT students said they did not learn they were unable to receive the plan until they tried to re-enroll.
MIT fourth-year graduate student Amy Shi said she had planned to re-enroll in the BU program but was shocked to find she could no longer use it.
“My dental student was great, and I received very comprehensive treatment,” Shi said in an email.
The BU plan was among the recommended plans for MIT students, Ekstrom said. The MIT student council is looking for other options, but “those will be several months in the making,” he said.
“At the moment, we’re not aware of similar such plans,” Ekstrom said. “MIT has a full-service dental office as well, but offers only a 10 percent discount and no service plan to its students.”
Friedman did not respond to messages left over the phone and by email.