Know More about the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program

04 Sep Know More about the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program

The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program, also known as TRDP, has served retired military personnel and their family members since its beginning on February 1, 1998.

The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program, also known as TRDP, has served retired military personnel and their family members since its beginning on February 1, 1998. This then created a premier dental program for retired personnel.

This program includes the following benefits:

• A comprehensive coverage encompassing the most common dental services. This also includes back teeth composite fillings and dental accidents, beginning at the effective date of the coverage.
• A complete scope of all major dental needs such as dentures, bridges, crowns, orthodontics, and implants after having coverage for a period of one year.
• Complete coverage for any type of dental emergencies when covered personnel or their family members are traveling to a location which is outside the area covered by the Enhanced TRDP.
• Excellent cost savings and value when enrollees are suffering from any kind of dental emergency by offering a choice of more than 150,000 locations throughout the United States. These providers have agreed to provide their services to the TRDP enrollees at a reduced rate. (Enrollees are also allowed to choose their own licensed dentist who is not a part of the TRDP network, but the dentist should be in the service area. Also, their fees may be comparatively higher than the doctors of the TRDP network).
• A vast, and growing list of dentists for enrollees that live overseas or are frequent travelers.
• Easily affordable premiums on a monthly basis, generous allowances, a reduced deductible, and lifetime orthodontic care of a maximum value of $1,500 for every person.

Service Area

The TRDP offers a full list of covered services throughout the world.  The benefits that you may receive depend upon whether or not you’ve enrolled yourself for Enhanced Overseas TRDP or Enhanced TDRP.

The coverage provided for the enrollees of the Enhanced Overseas TRDP is only for people who live outside the areas that are listed in the Enhanced TRDP. Once you are enrolled for the Enhanced Overseas TDRP, you will also receive a regular supplemental guide which will provide you with all the details on the provisions that only apply to those who have overseas coverage.

Eligibility

You are eligible for enrolling for the TRDP if any of these apply to you or family members:

• You are or have been a member of the United States military and are entitled to receive the retired pay from the Uniformed Services. In this case, you’re eligible to enroll for the TRDP even if your age is 65 years old or above.
• You’re a retired member of National Guard or Reserve. This also includes all members who are in the ‘gray area’ and are not entitled to receive the retired pay until the age of 60 years old.
• An enrolled member’s current spouse.
• An enrolled member’s child up until the age of 21, which is extended to the age of 23 years old if the child is a full-time student. The child may be eligible for coverage if they are older than this maximum age limit if the child is disabled without losing eligibility. In case a child is a full-time student, proof of will be required.
• A non-remarried spouse or an eligible child of a deceased service member, who passed away while on active duty or was a retired member.
• Any recipient of the Medal of Honor as well as an eligible family members of their family. This is also applicable to any non-remarried spouses or eligible family members of a deceased Medal of Honor recipient.
• Any eligible child and/or current spouse a service member has not enrolled for the TRDP program. In this case, you’ll need a documented proof (a) the non-enrolled member is still eligible to receive dental care from the Veterans Affair Department; (b) enrollment of the member in a dental coverage program that does not cover family members; (c) individual are unable to obtain benefits through the TRDP program due to ongoing dental issues or medical conditions. A written document that can work as a proof for any of the three conditions should be submitted along with your TRDP application.
• Remarried and former spouses are not eligible to enroll in this program.

The following table will provide you with a detailed overview of the coverage that you’re entitled to after enrolling for the Enhanced TRDP:

• The amount of the percentage coverage will be based on the maximum amount allowed for that particular dental service. Even though the percentage of coverage is same for the patients, others might have to pay more out-of-pocket fees by choosing to visit a dentist who is not in the TRDP network. The benefits that are provided under the program are subject to limitations. To know more about services, details about the levels of benefits, exclusions, limitations, program policies, and payment structure of the overseas and non-network dentists, please go through the booklet of Enhanced TRDP booklet and Enhanced Overseas TRDP supplement.

Dentist Network

When you enroll in the Enhanced TRDP program, you can save a lot of money on dental procedures by going to a TRDP network dentist who are available at more than 150,000 locations in the United States.

If you prefer going to a dentist who is not enrolled in the TRDP network, you’ll get the same amount of coverage that you’ll get while going to a network dentist, but you might have to pay more out-of-pocket for the procedures. A non-network dentist may charge normal fees which may be higher than the TRDP network dentists. You will be responsible for paying the additional amount even if you’re enrolled in the Enhanced TRDP program.

Delta Dental does not maintain a network of dentists overseas. If you are enrolled in the Enhanced Overseas TRDP program and are looking for a network dentist or are traveling out of the network of TRDP dentists and want to use the dental services, or you have dependents who are students, you may search for dentists or clinics in almost every country.  These are provided by the Delta Dental’s service of dentist referrals on the international level. Enrollees also have the option of searching for an overseas dentist with the help of the search tool that is provided on the www.trdp.org website. The dentists who are listed through the referral service or are found through the website tool are not affiliated with or contracted by Delta Dental.

Enrollment

You need to voluntarily enroll yourself for the TRDP program. All enrollees need to complete the first 12 months enrollment period to take full advantage of the TRDP program. Once these initial12 months are completed, then you’re eligible to obtain the complete benefits of the Enhanced TRDP program and the enrollment will continue to be available to you.

There is also a grace period of 30 days from the effective coverage date. During this period you’re allowed to cancel the agreement of enrollment without any kind of obligations.  However, you’re not allowed to do so if you’ve already used the services of this program. If you do not cancel the agreement within the initial 30-day period, you will be enrolled for the program for the first 12 months and will not get an opportunity to eliminate yourself from the program.