As a retired service member of the US Army, there has only been one dental program that I’ve been enrolled in. For as long as I remember, my family has had TRICARE as not just our medical, but also our dental care plan. If there’s one thing that I take really seriously, it’s our dental care. I have kids that I have to remind to brush their teeth, and I’m not talking about Madison, who just turned 4. I’m talking about the older kids, who are now 11 and 15.
Last year I have had to do fillings because there were cavities and I’m also looking at getting braces for Mikael now 11 because he refused for a very long time to stop sucking his thumb. Yes, if you have a thumb sucker, that’s one of the thing you might be looking into yourself. Having MetLife TRICARE Dental has saved me lots of money. Do you know the cost of just going to the dentist without a dental plan? Let me tell you it is not cheap. However our premiums have been relatively affordable and as of February 1, 2016 there will be some changes to our premiums which is what I’m going to be sharing with you today.
If you’re a member of the military, you may know that the MetLife TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) premiums vary based upon the sponsor’s military status (Active Duty, Selected Reserve (SELRES), or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR)) and the type of enrollment.
- Sponsor only
- Single enrollment – one family member, not sponsor
- Family enrollment – more than one family member, not sponsor
- Sponsor and family
Here are the changes that you can look forward to. While the increase is not significant please budget accordingly.
Effective Date of Coverage
If initial payment is received by the 20th of the month, coverage will be processed for the first day of the month following the date of receipt. If the initial premiums payment is received after the 20th of the month, coverage will be processed for the first day of the second month after receipt of the documents.
Initial Payment
Your sponsor is required to submit their first monthly premium payment upon initial enrollment:
If they enroll over the phone or online, they can pay the first premium payment with a credit card.
If they enroll through the mail, they can pay with a check or money order. Please include your sponsor’s social security number or DoD Benefits number in the memo area.
There are 4 easy ways to enroll!
- Online visit www.tricare.mil/bwe
- Call 1-855-638-8371 CONUS, 1-855-638-8372 OCONUS, or 1-855-638-8373 TDD/TTY
- Fax a completed Enrollment Authorization document (found on www.tricare.mil/tdp) to 1-855-763-1337
- Mail a completed Enrollment Authorization document to MetLife TRICARE Dental Program, P.O. Box 14185 Lexington, KY 40512
For additional program information, visit www.metlife.com/tricare
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