Military Dental Insurance: Who Qualifies and What is Covered?
Military dental insurance was once available only to active duty service members. In 2001, Tricare began offering the Tricare Dental Program, which, for a monthly fee, can cover the service member's dependents as well.
The offering of military dental insurance was seen as a very welcome addition to existing medical insurance. Although recipients are required to pay for this coverage (unlike medical coverage), the prices are reasonable when compared to other dental insurance plans.
The military dental insurance offered by Tricare is opt-in only and covers 100 percent of the costs for preventative and diagnostic services. For services such as extractions, crowns, caps, and fillings, the recipient pays a part of the cost while the military pays the remainder.
Some orthodontic services are covered, but not all. There is also a lifetime limit on the amount of orthodontic services that can be paid on a member's policy. Some dental services are not covered at all by military dental insurance plans.
Active duty service members themselves are not eligible for supplementary military dental insurance since they already receive care at military treatment centers. Additionally, their family members may only enroll when the service member has at least 12 months remaining on their current term of service.
Military retirees are eligible for military dental insurance through a separate program, which is called Tricare Retiree Dental Program. The cost structure for this plan is different than the cost structure for the active duty plan, but it is still competitive when compared to civilian dental insurance plans.
Receive Care From the Dentist of Your Choice
Military dental insurance is generally accepted by all dentists for their services. However, if the beneficiary chooses a provider from within a preferred network, their costs and co-pays may be lower. This is very similar to many civilian dental plans and
There are no rules against a family being enrolled in the military dental insurance plan and a supplementary program at the same time. This can help to cover the costs that are not covered with military dental insurance.
Should you Enroll Your Family in Military Dental Insurance?
The bottom line is that military dental insurance is very similar to all other dental insurance. Since dental bills can quickly add up and become huge expenses, buying dental insurance is always a sound financial choice.
Purchasing dental insurance means that you will always have a way to pay for those unexpected dental procedures, so when something happens to your teeth you don't have to save up your money before receiving treatment. Since your preventative care is covered as well, you can even cut down on the number of dental treatments you will need.
Overall, dental insurance is a necessity. Military dental insurance is a great value, and if you are eligible it's definitely worth taking advantage of this plan.
