February 2, 2016, by Bernard Harris – A trip to the dentist these days is a painless experience because of advanced technology, drugs, and leading-edge equipment. Moreover, it is a pleasure because of the fact that you will have a healthy set of teeth, a healthier body and a beautiful smile with good dental care. The cost of routine examinations and many dental procedures should not be a concern for United States military personnel and their families because there is a dental program that makes dental work affordable. The program is called Tricare Dental and they provide regular Tricare Dental Program Updates for anyone who is interested.
The Tricare Dental Program
TRICARE takes care of all of your dental needs by means of three different dental programs. The three programs are TRICARE Active Duty Dental, TRICARE Dental, and TRICARE Retiree Dental. These three affordable dental programs will allow you and your family members to have preventative dental care. In the long run this will prevent loss of teeth and dental emergencies. These three awesome dental programs provide complete coverage for military personnel and their families while in the continental United States and overseas.
TRICARE Active Duty Dental Plan
The TRICARE Active Duty Dental Plan is accessible for active military members who have been referred for dental care to a civilian dental community by a military dental treatment facility. This will apply to any member who lives more than 50 miles from the military treatment facility. The plan covers civilian dental care for wounded warriors, a service member who requires line of duty care, and active-duty service member, and a Reserve/Guard member who is currently on active duty orders.
TRICARE Dental Plan
The TRICARE Dental Plan is a dental insurance program that is voluntary. Dental benefits are available to all active duty family members were eligible. It is also available to National Guard and Reserve members along with their family members who are eligible. The dental program contractor for this program is MetLife.
TRICARE Retiree Plan
The TRICARE Retiree Plan is a dental plan that has been authorized by Congress to help pay for basic dental work for retired uniformed service members and their family members. It is a voluntary dental insurance program for Metal of Honor recipients, retired service members, survivors, family members of recipients who have received the Medal of Honor, Guard/Reserve retired members along with their family members.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an enrollment in the TRICARE Dental Plan you will be required to have at least 12 months of remaining military service commitment prior to the time of your enrollment. Family members who are eligible include spouses and children until the age of 21. Children who are attending college or university can be covered until the age of 23. Your enrollment covers a 12 month period. For current information subscribe to the Tricare Dental Program Updates option.
January 2016 Updates
Effective January 1, 2016 the monthly payment for members on active duty will be $34.68 for a family and $11.68 for a single person. The TRICARE Dental Plan has two associated costs of which one is “Cost Shares” and the other is the “Monthly Premiums”. The monthly premium, as mentioned above, will be based on the military status of the member and the number of people covered in a family. A cost share payment will be based on the member’s paygrade, the service performed, and the location where the treatment was received.
For Selected Reserve and IRR (Mobilization Only) the premium for a Sponsor only, $11.68/month, a single person will be $29.19/month and $87.59 for an entire family. The sponsor and family in $99.27/month
Monthly insurance costs for IRR (Non-Mobilization) are the same as IRR (Mobilization Only) with the exception being Sponsor and family rises to $116.78.
Paying For TRICARE
Military members can pay for their monthly premiums by setting up an allotment or by providing a reoccurring payment from either a credit/debit card or checking account. The TRICARE Dental Plan has a contract year that runs from May 1 through April 30. Each member has a $1300 annual maximum payment per contract year for non-orthodontic services. It should be noted that if you fail to make your monthly premium payment then your coverage will be automatically canceled and you will not be eligible to enroll again for another 12 months. Tricare Dental Program Updates are available by subscription.
No Reason Not To See Your Dentist
Dental work can be very expensive unless you have insurance or a dental plan to help defray some of the cost. Thankfully as a United States Service Member (active or retired), your TriCare Dental Insurance can help lower some of your dental expenses and make oral health through regular and good dental care a reality for all.
About the Author: Bernard Harris is a retired USAF Federal Agent with over 35 years in law enforcement and has proudly served the United States on 3 continents in over 20 countries. Mr. Harris now owns and operates Pikes Peak Strategic Group in Colorado Springs, helping military and non-military folks alike save money on their healthcare and dental expenses.