Tricare Dental Switching to MetLife

I received a letter in the mail last week from MetLife and Tricare and there will be some exciting changes starting May 1st, 2012!  MetLife was awarded the Tricare Dental Programs contract so you'll notice a few changes, but for the most part it should be an easy transition.  You will want to verify your current provider is still a provider and make sure you have the   I am most excited about the coverage of resin (white) fillings on ALL teeth.  It was getting a little old shelling out the extra cash when we didn't want amalgam (silver) fillings.  There are lots of other nice changes (including a slight premium decrease) that I will get into below, but first a little overview of dental coverage just in-case you are not familiar with the program.

Who's Eligible?

Tricare Dental is not a part of your regular Tricare benefits and you will have to enroll separately, but the dental care is very affordable.  You are eligible for Tricare Dental if you are a spouse or a dependent under the age off 21 of an Active Duty Service Member.  Dependents ages 21-23 are also eligible if the are enrolled full time at an approved institution and receive at least 50% of their support from the service member or if the have a disabling illness or injury that occurred before their 21st birthday.

Enrollment

There are two options for Tricare Dental-- Single Enrollment or Family Plan. All eligible family members must be enrolled with the exception of children under the age of 4.  Once a dependent turns 4 they will be automatically enrolled in you existing plan.  The cost of Single Enrollment is (was $12.69) per month and the Family Plan is $30.89 (was $31.72) per month.  Note that once you enroll in Tricare Dental you must remain enrolled for 12 months.  Once you complete your initial 12 month enrollment you can request termination at any time.  To enroll visit www.tricare.mil/bwe.

To learn more about Tricare Dental or to enroll visit http://www.tricare.mil/bwe

Note that if you are already enrolled in Tricare Dental you will not have to re-enroll.  You will just be covered under MetLife instead of United Concorida.

What's Covered?


Here is a chart of what's covered and at what rate:

So what's different?

*Resin fillings will now be covered for your front AND back teeth.

*The annual maximum per enrollee will increase to $1300

* The orthodontic lifetime maximum will increase to $1750 per enrollee

* There is an additional $1200 annual accident maximum (For dental problems caused by an accident)

To learn more about MetLife, find a provider, view a claim and more visit the MetLife Tricare Site.

Note that if you currently pay your Tricare Dental Plan via Credit Card or EFT you will need to set up recurring payments here.


Are you National Guard or Reserves?  You and your family may also may qualify for benefits.

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