On May 1, 2012 TRICARE will be changing the TRICARE Dental Program coverage from United Concordia to MetLife. This means that over 2 million Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve members, family members, and survivors may soon see some significant changes to their dental coverage.
NOTE: The change to MetLife is for family members, members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve, and survivors only. The Active Duty Dental Program will continue to be administered by United Concordia. The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program coverage will remain under Delta Dental.
According to TRICARE, beneficiaries can expect to see the enhanced dental coverage at a lower premium share under the new contract. MetLife will distribute program information, provider network details beginning in first quarter 2012.
Highlights to the benefits and enhancements are listed below:
- Coverage of posterior resin (tooth colored/white) fillings.
- Increase in the annual maximum to $1,300 per enrollee (formerly this was $1,200).
- Increase in the lifetime orthodontic maximum to $1,750.
- $1,200 per year for services related to dental treatment due to an accident as defined in the TDP handbook.
- No cost shares for scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) for diabetics.
- Coverage of an additional (3rd) cleaning for women during pregnancy.
- Expansion of the survivor benefits to surviving spouse and child(ren).
To check if your dentist is already part of the MetLife network, visit the Metlife TRICARE Dental Program website and click “Find a Dentist.”
Additional information about the contract is available at www.tricare.mil/TDPcontract and benefit updates are available at www.tricare.mil.
I did not see one word about Retiree's??????
"The retiree dental care program will remain under Delta Dental"
Active duty always getting shafted!
WHAT are you talking about. Active duty is fully covered at NO COST to the military member.
retirees plans fall under a different contract which is administered by Delta Dental.
I'm a retired Active Duty. I would to apply for the Delta Dental for my family. Please send me WEB site thank you.
Go on line and Google Delta Dental. Follow the links.
Hi there, thank you for your interest in the TRDP. You can visit our website to enroll in the program at trdp.org. Also if you have any questions you can call our tollfree number at 888-838-8737. Thanks!
Active duty dependants monthly coverage pay is around $12-13, then when the servicemember retires, for a family of two the monthly payment goes to $69 plus change, and you have to wait a year for major services. What a ripoff!!!!!!!!!!
In my experience, it is a rip-off only if you pay full price. My DMD charges $685 for a CERAC. Delta Dental pays 50%. With using Delta Dental to its annual limit, I am saving money.
You do NOT have to wait a year for services if you signed up within 30 days of soldier retiring. This information is provided to the soldier at pre- retirement briefings that Spouses are strongly urged to go to since there is a whole lot of information given at these briefings. Delta dental is still cheaper & pays close pretty much the same amount as other insurances do. I know that we would be paying 2x the family (of 4) monthly amount if we chose to take employers dental insurance as it is $100+ every 2 weeks.
I recently went through TAPS and was shocked dwhen i saw the family rate for dental coverage! almost 120 for 3 people per month the you still have that co-pay! they give you a retirement check but after taxes, health insurance (dental inclubed) you only recieve about 75% of your 50% at retirement!
Why not cover implants?
Better all around in the long run and will save money by scale.
I think they do. At least my wife had a tooth implant that was covered.
It seems that the families get a better deal than retirees. Being retired there are more of us who become diabetic, need more deep cleanings & other work. Right now we have to wait a year and still pay thru the nose, which some of us can not afford. Once again we get screwed & I’m talking about medically or over 62.
My wife and I have Delta Dental, retired version. It is true that there is a waiting period, but our coverage has been excellent. Cerac implants, posts, new teeth, etc., all in addition to semi-annual checkups. We have been very pleased with the coverage.
I use to joke, that I am staying for the benifits,, ha ha, little did I know, when you age and reitre the only thing you really get is Tri Care,, which is pretty good. But as you age your EYES AND TEETH, are the first to go..!!!! Delta Denta is way too high and covers very little… Going to pick up my glassses today from WalMart.. no vison coverage on this either… Thanks.
SEWM,
"Eye Exams
TRICARE covers one comprehensive ophthalmologic eye exam every two years. You can receive these eye exams from a TRICARE-authorized optometrist or ophthalmologist."
Source: http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/Vision/EyeE…
Unless your fighting for our veterans benefits right charles? Raise the rates every year is your answer. You do know that your opinion will be posted all over this forum for every answer. I would encourage everyone to follow Charles and his posts!
Rates are going up every year – that was in NDAA 2012. Limited to the percentage of COLA (i.e. if COLA goes up 2.2%, Tricare doesn't go up over 2.2%)
Oh, and your first sentence/question is nonsense. It doesn't matter what the Veteran is doing, they see the same increase.
According to NAU "Up front the premise that military health care has seen rapid growth is very suspect in light of the disclosure last week that medical inflation, overall, had only increased 3.8% in 2008 and 3.9% in 2009. Once again it seems that DoD has no qualms about trying to balance their budget on the backs of retirees. They totally disregard any promises made or the fact that these retirees have earned their promised benefits and many count on them to maintain their quality of life"
IDMTmedic,
What you posted has nothing to do with this subject. This is about "TRICARE Dental Program coverage from United Concordia to MetLife."
The news listed Highlights to the benefits and enhancements for Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve, and survivors only.
Just why you are complaining about the listed enhancements?
Enhancements is a nice word. Your all about corrections not enhancements. In this case for the benefit. Most cases just correcting misguided vets with bad info right? No concern, no worry just the way it should be. Pay more because we should according to you. No cuts? Yaaaa ok.
IDMT,
Not sure what your argument is! All I did was point out that Tricare does cover "Eye Exams" and link that FACT to the Tricare website. Should I have not pointed this out?
Here's my argument with you and Retiree. Where is the passion that you fight for our benefits? You state facts and errors in posts that may or may not be true. Sacrifice is a given in military life. Those that died are not here to fight it. Your arguments are based on legal issues and not moral or ethical. Neither one of you post on the issue that congress is trying to negate the sacrifice of all veterans. Charles states he wants more payments because he has a good life and if we paid like civilians then we are so much better off. Retiree is more realistic and says that he does not agree with raising fees but it is a reality. I would say yes it is coming and regardless of the financial situation our country is in, we as vets are not a burden! So either STFU or take a side but don't play both.
IDTMmedic,
"Here's my argument with you and Retiree."
LMAO, why in the world do you feel the necessity to have an argument with our FACTS and opinions?
1. The subject of this article is "How Will MetLife Change TRICARE Dental".
2. A soldier made a statement that there was "no vison coverage on this either" talking about Tricare.
3. In that I wear glasses myself, I knew this was untrue, so I looked it up on the Tricare website, pasted that information here along with the link.
4. I did not post my opinion, just the 'matter of fact' that Tricare does cover an (eye exam) every two years.
5. IDMTmedic, let me suggest that you stick to subject of these IntenseDebate News blogs and stop making what others post your agenda.
My agenda is vets. I would say the same thing to you about what others post IS your agenda.. Your posts are in response to other posts and defend nothing in regards to the frustration vets feel. Post facts all day long Mr. congressman but apparently you left your uniform at the door.
Yes I agree the Delta Dental is a rip off because you have be a member for 1 year before you can file a claim for dental care to get a pro- rated portion of the money payed for dental care refunded.
I have Delta dental and you are right, they cover little to none…exactly 50% co-pay. Then there is the $52.00 a month premieum. I guess that is to bribe the Congressmen by the K st gang in D C. So they don't give the patient a fair shake!!
I have Tri Care and I do get my eyes checked once a year thru them, but I have to pay for my glasses. I agree delta dental is a waste of money I went to met life for a dental plan. It's not cheap but it is good coverage.
If going to MET LIFE is going to save money. Then why not be fair about it and switch everyone to it? I am tired of seeing active duty getting the better deals while they still have other perks to supplement their income. The active soldier is seen on post/base so no money spent by soldier for his dental unlike retirees. Your retirees should be getting the enhanced plans 1st since they are having to pay for everything out of their small checks. (no housing allowance, food allowance etc, clothing allowance)
Yup, amazing considering the pay differance now to than also. My base pay a an E8 with 27 is the same as a E6 with 3 years now. Yet ALL retirees no matter what era they retired or grade are subject to ALL the same costs Co-pays and increases. It is some deal to go from free for life to pay more than is really affordable. I don't have a problem "paying" just that its compatable to my "pay"
Right now I have to wait another year to get a molar pulled and some sort of implant cause I can't afford any more dental work on this ins this year. So I deal with the pain till Oct.
if you have affordable dentures in your area check them out, thery are about 1/3 of the costs of a dentist.
I'm retired too, but the active duty guys are still getting SHOT AT! Whether we were or not while we were in, we're not now. THAT's the difference!
U gota be kiddin, when I was shot at I didn't need dental work homes! after VN I hung around a while longer bubba, still no real dental work needed, or received except cleanings, from 64 on to 82 I wasn't worried as my retired old man and family was still getting that "free" for life benefit., well homie now its a different story, forget the "being shot at" stuff, they were called "benefits" for a reason dude, for "when I/we were being shot at. , and now I need the dental work homie, Man!!
Nothing changes for retirees if you read the article.
Watch out for MetLife–they just raised the premium on my Long Terrm Care Insurance over 33%– a $1,450 increase in one year!!! And all this resulted in a lousy $7.00 as day increase in my daily "allowance" when and if I should ever live to collect it, and I'm 82 now! God help me when I see the increases yet to come. You know they are hoping we will drop the insurance, then they get to keep all the 15 years of premiums and we get to keep Zip! Let the buyer beware!
Jarhead "Mustang" Marine
seems that active or not, everyone is in the same boat. no matter how hard you worked, saved, paid your time in, lost special times with your family/ friends, you still are waiting for someone in gov. or other to take what you have earned. I keep telling myself its just stuff or services and someday we will all die and have nothing to take with us. Fight if we can, but the truth is we are out numbered and anything and all will go one day or another.
We are facing thousands of dollars in dental bills because of the crappy coverage we receive from Concordia. I am literally having to forego necessary dental care because the $1200 cap was reached on the first visit, and our dental care credit service is maxed out. One visit alone can cost thousands…. so much for taking care of soldiers and their families.
The dental plans are just too expensive. We find it much wiser to set a fund aside each year to use for dental and we have actually been able to do this and meet our needs cheaper than the plan you offer. Try a little harder to get us a better plan. We are very happy with the medical but the dental care belongs in the garbage can.
I have Delta Dental and am allowed $1,500.00 a year but crowns are $856.00 each and root canals are $700.00 and bridges are $650.00 and this is under a civilian premieum of $52.00 a month. There is no rollover for the amount you don't use. The aforementioned proceedures require a 50% co-pay and I dont have the 50% and therefore I loose what I don't use which is about $700.00 a year. I can barely fix one tooth a year and need attention on 6 of them and I have dry mouth syndrome due to prescription drugs for heart problems. This whole dental business is a pile of crap and robery and we don't get to rollover what we don't use yet paid for. Medicare should cover dental but they dont. if you are on medicaid you get your teeth fixed for free. I wrote to my congressman for all that will do. If all the Medicare recipients would write their congressmen, there may be something done about it. I am also a veteran and can't get zip done at the V A.
Medicare cannot pay the V A doctor as a federal agency cannot pay another federal agency. This is so they can keep the federal budget artifically inflated. Although 3 times they did mess up an pay my V A doctor $135.00 each time and I have the Medicare report on it.
Retires get a monthly penson for serving our country for 20yrs or more PLUS out of that large monthly amount (haha) we have to pay for Tricare and Dental. Why even give us a paycheck if their going to take it all back for Medical. Active duty has NO copay but people on a small montly paycheck has to pay for everything. Don't see how staying in is any benifit.
I'm getting ready to join Delta dental because I'm diabetic…and need extensive dental work..(three broken teeth) that were treated with fillings while in the Navy that back in the early 70's….now i have no other option but to pay through the A.. to get dental work done…but I guess something is better than nothing…..I just wish I could get what a congressman ( allot better medical and dental coverage) than us retiree's get after retirement. CONGRESS WAKE UP take a look at what the retiree's really need after serving and defending everyone in the United States Freedom!!!!!!!!!! get us better dental coverage and why not switch everyone over to the METLIFE COVERAGE PLAN!!!!!!!!!!
All comments and support our welcome……….
I have found a way to bet the dental system. I went to a dentist and he quoted me $8,700 to repair my teeth. I met an individual who introduced me to a student in a dental college. I went there, applied for the same work to be done to my teeth and they quoted me a price of $1,400.00 after insurance pays their part. I am very pleased with the dental college staff and students. I would recommend all of you look for a dental college in your area. Quit paying for all the personal amenities the dentist are charging you extra. You will save money.
I retired with over 25 years of active duty. My rank was E-9. I am now 80
years old. I have always paid for my dental work. It coat me less than if
I tried to get it through Tri-Care. I stayed in the Army so I could receive the
benefits. what a Rip-Off. I just hope this does'nt happen to our younger
soldiers.
I am a retiree who needs to have all my teeth extracted and dentures fitted. My cost-$8,700.00. Delta Dental pays-$1,200.00. Balance I have to pay-$7,500.00 Where does that come from?
Where is the benefit for having Delta Dental? The system stinks.
AF Retired
Dentist are a rip off put you money in a dental saving fund of your own and pay cash for what you need. paying Delta Dental is just not worth it. Congress could care less, non of them have ever served , there in is the problem with the military, there are civilians running it.
Total agreement. It should be a requirement that ALL in office should serve their country.
AF Retired.
Maybe I am missing something here….
I am in the Army Reserves and have served 16 years so far and have experienced the Medical and Dental coverage from both my civilian and military (Tricare Reserve Select) careers. Without fail, the military benefits are better than what our civilian counterparts get offered.
Why is it we feel we should be awarded better coverage at lower premiums? What gives us this right? I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. I am not interested in being blasted by someone who has not figured out how to separate emotional connections from their response. Let's look at this topic holistically.
If we get better services with lower premiums, sure I will like this, but at the same time, I must also consider what the tertiary effects are: larger write-offs required by the clinic, additional budgetary requirements for the government, ….
c2o5,
Yep, I agree. Many here just don't realize how good Active and Retired Military really have it.
Then I guess they should pay us like civilians then right. Treat us like civilians then pay us like them. Overtime, on-call, differential pay for after hours, separation from family for a year or more, no breaks or scheduled lunches. I mean what's not to love. You have the potential to be killed in your job? Shot at, eat dirt with your meal? Fair trade? Only a few realize what has been sacrificed to get these benefits, so yeah I guess you and a few others DON'T get it.
IDMTmedic,
Correct me if I am wrong, but you never retired from the Military, correct?
20 yrs.:)
IDMTmedic,
Sorry, the Scott Mulder I knew, is 33 or 34 years of age.
No problem Charles.
If your trying to figure out who I am then ask, beating around the bush won't help. If you would like to know my deployments ask away.
IDMTmedic,
Feel free to download your DD Form 214 and DD Form 215 here, along side mine in order to move this off of this forum.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MyMilitaryHistory
I don't entertain your links. Feel free to discuss right here.
I retired from the Navy in 2005. Didn't have any dental insurance as I heard it was not worth the cost. I guess I should have listened, as what I read with delta dental, it didn't sound to bad, as I had just paid $250 to have my daughters teeth exray, cleaned, and then there was the filling for the one cavity, oh yea, about 250 for that. Figured, dang, I best get coverage. Got the Delta dental for $60 a month, me and my daughter both covered, figured it was good.
I had my teeth done with exrays, cleaning yad yad, delta dental paid for all. Good deal, yeh, I went back for the one very small cavity, found out delta pays a very small part of that, I paid $34 that day, thought that was it, but no, three weeks later I get a bill from the dentist, delta dental pays $18, I had to pay another $36. If I have the work done they said i needed, it would cost me close to $1000 my cost. And that is just repairing ONE tooth. Come October, I will start putting my $60 in the bank and save to pa;y cash. Delta D can KMA…Tri-Care is great as far as I'm concerned, but stay clear of Delta D.
Eldon
This is not a very tough question to answer at all…..we deserve better coverage at lower premiums because we make more sacrifices than civilians. My husband has made 27 months worth of deployments in 6 year. Risked his life for our freedom. Sacrificied time away from me, our sons, friends in a war zone! And when isn't deployed he has CQ, NTC, weeks out in the field etc. So please name me a job people sacrifice as much as the military and get paid as little! And maybe only ACTIVE DUTY individuals deserve these benefits if you are so willing to give them up!
I am a military widow and disabled vet. I pay $120 per month for dental coverage on myself and my two children. They pay only a 5th of the cost for braces and most work I have to pay 50% for it. Insurence, I was lucky to get grandfathered in to tricare prime or I could not afford to take my kids to the doctor… I have medicare I am FORCED to buy in order to keep my tricare benefits. Is this why my husband paid the ultimate price for our freedom? Is this the benefits that were promised to us if we made the ultimate sacrifice… I'm told I should do my share and I cannot even afford to send my daughter to college because unfortunately our sacrifices were before 9-11-2001. Thank you America!
Your husband was the one in the miltary, not you, why do you think your still entitled to receiving benefits, what did you do other than being a military spouse? why should you be 'owed' anything?
Simon? I believe she said she was a military widow and "disabled vet".
If that's the cause then why did she have to be 'grandfathered' into Tricare Prime-and she's not being 'forced' to pay for Medicare-both programs are entitlements—all beneficiaries whom are eligible for Medicare enroll into Medicare, Medicare pays first then Tricare pays the balance–and shes questioning her husbands being in the service……Don't see anything about her service. I would luv to be paying only 460.00 a YEAR!!! for insurance, pay more than that in 1 MONTH of healthcare premiums in the civilian sector
I WORK to pay my health insurance, hardly anything left for food, rent, etc., basically quit whinning and BE GRATEFUL for what you have!
OMG! I can not believe you just said that. A spouse serves just as much as the military member. Our sacrifices are under appreciated. I've worked full time and raised two kids….Very often alone, since my husband is always deployed. I have had to move every 3-6 years, thereby loosing any possibility for upward mobility at my work or a meaningful retirement plan, while my husband got to enjoy climbing the career ladder. So to say the wives don't sacrifice is really ridiculous. Our sacrifices are not appreciated but they are great. Perhaps you are just sore on military wives(b/c there are some out there that deserve it) but to say that a dutiful, hard working wife has not made great sacrifices due to the military life is grossly absurd!!
A lot of people raise children on their own, w/out government benefits, we don't get tax free food or other items tax free, we don't get paid housing, we don't get free medical care. A lot of husbands and wife 'sacrifice' things whether or not they are in the military, that's just BS. How much money would the government save if they didn't cover the active duty service members dependents?
Wow…. You're a douchebag…
He's a troll.
If the government didn't cover service members families they wouldn't have much of a military. And you choose to raise children on your own we don't. "Tax free" doesn't mean anything, price for price it is cheaper to shop at Wal-mart then it is at the commissary or BX…WAY cheaper. We don't get free medical care. We pay a smaller amount for insurance and then we're required to use base hospitals which have hands down the shittiest doctors available. That "paid housing" + pay = around $55,000 a year for my husband who's been in 10 years. Without the housing it amounts to about $35,000 pay. And thats for 24 hours a day on call, for being shot at and shelled, for 6 months out of every year being stuck in the desert away from family. Oh and about that family, perhaps you'd like to try raising 3 kids alone while trying to make it in a career field you can't ever get ahead in because you move all the time. Or being so far away from family that no matter what happens you handle it on your own because there is no one else to help you. You try living on 35K a year then. You civilians are the ones who have it easy and you sit around and complain like we're treated like kings. Climb out from under that rock you live under and join the real world.
Yeah Simon, our husbands are the one's in the military we just sit on our @sses and eat bonbons and watch tv while they're off doing their thing. I guess we don't deserve anything for raising the kids and paying the bills, keeping things running when he's gone, dealing with no husband/wife 8 months out of the year, crappy housing, etc. Are you retarded or just a moron?
I just recently ended my time in service after serving 11.5 years and had some dental work done. As for the plan of Tricare and United Concordia they said I was covered during the visit and had a balance of 253.00 due to the Dentist. So today I return to repay the balance due and it is now $1,478.00 due to the Dentist. I say this, to that, this is just not fare to the veterans at all, and I am going to do all that I can to see that this is taken care of even if no one wants to listen. I will eventually get to someone's nerves and they will then hear me. So let's not get upset, just try to fight like we have always done for our country. Someone is bound to here our plea for help and be more concern with the outcome than the government not doing anything at all. FREEDOM, yeah is not free.
I'm 79, retired Aif Force and having two dental implants next week. Cost: is $9890.00.IIf you plan on retireing in Northern California make sure you have good teeth or a lot of money.
John
Good dentures are way cheaper than that!
What ever happed to our benefits our husbands earned for us in war and service for 25-30 years??? Just robbing the poor for the rich seems like to me, But ya cant fight City Hall they say!!! So much for the enjoyment your spouse worked so hard for his family to enjoy!!!! Golden years came and went,
From my understanding we as dependents are being ripped off. We’re being given a met life plan that almost compares to Medicaid which most dentist won’t accept because they’re not being paid as much. How can you promise our families things and take them away later on?? It’s just not fair!
I am a military dependant and we are most definitely paying. We pay for out of pocket expenses for a lot of the same stuff "civilians" pay for. We also pay a monthly premium for our substandard care. Nothing that we get is free.
Wow! If you are a dependent you are a "civillian" as you say. I am a dependent and I am a "civillian", I am Ashley and I am married to someone in the military, you should be grateful you have medical care. Cry to someone else chick, you knew what you were signing up for when you married someone in the military.
I am active duty E-5. Just had a kid,only bread winner at home for the time being. So currently under concordia just had to pay two hundred dollars for my wife to have her wisdom teeth removed. Not only is it is expensive but it also puts financial strain on family with a single income. 60/40 is bs! Anyone here know what the future holds with MetLife?
First of all way to go only having to pay 200.00 I had to pay 500.00 for mine. From what Metlife has said we should get more than we do now. thank god.
You can always try and get your dentist to send referral to oral surgery at military hospital closest to you and see if you can get your family member in there for FREE. It is tough and takes time and patience, but it can be done. $200 is not a lot. Just be thankful it was not $2400 for all 4 wisdom teeth extractions. Thank you for your service. I am a military wife and am thankful for all the services and insurance provided our family and my husband.
Trying to find a good dentist is tough enough, tring to find a good one who want's Metlife is very hard. It might be easier to find other dental as he is limited to what he will take. Metlife NO
Really….I work full time have three kids and I have a lot more to do when my husband is deployed….I think the only joke here is you!!!! What kind of comment is that. It is hard work being a military spouse.
How frustrating! We're an active duty family stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. With this new plan, the closest pediatric dentist covered is 35 miles away. And, the closest orthdontist is 63 miles away! Simply unacceptable!
I agree with C205!
Life is expensive. Get over it. People have money for what they want to have money for. You can either chose between Direct TV, SUVs, Coach purses/shoes… or have nice teeth. The decision is yours.
I've heard from many people that MetLife Dental isn't a bad plan to have…what sucks is that those of us in the military are not being covered under MetLife but a slightly revised "military MetLife" program. Our children's dentist accepts Metlife, but will not accept the military MetLife package as it covers less than half of what they charge for services. If they accepted the military MetLife package all of their MetLife insured patients would get the same lower priced services and the dentist would go out of business. We are now responsible to pay for a HIGHER percentage of services not covered. How is that enhanced dental coverage???
Scroll down to read a letter from a Monterey CA dentist. http://www.montereyherald.com/letters/ci_20501418…