FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- If you’re enrolled in the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP), you may already know that new premium rates go into effect each year on May 1. Premiums are what you pay each month for TDP coverage. The new TDP rates are effective May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024.
“It’s important to know your new monthly premium so you can plan accordingly,” said Doug Elsesser, program analyst with TDP. “Keep in mind that the TRICARE Dental Program is a pay-ahead program, meaning each payment is for the next month of coverage.”
TDP is a voluntary dental plan administered by United Concordia Companies, Inc. (United Concordia). It’s available to active duty family members, as well as National Guard and Reserve members and their family members, as outlined in the TRICARE Dental Program Benefit Brochure. Active duty service members and retirees aren’t eligible for dental coverage through TDP.
The annual rate increases are different for each premium group. These groups depend on the sponsor’s military service status—active duty, Selected Reserve, or Individual Ready Reserve—and the number of family members.
TDP’s new monthly premium amounts are below.
Sponsor Status: Active Duty
- Single premium: $12.36
- Family premium: $32.13
Sponsor Status: Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve (Mobilization Only/Under Orders)
- Sponsor only premium: $12.36
- Single premium: $30.89
- Family premium: $80.33
- Sponsor and family premium: $92.69
Sponsor Status: Individual Ready Reserve (Non-Mobilization/Not Under Orders)
- Sponsor only premium: $30.89
- Single premium: $30.89
- Family premium: $80.33
- Sponsor and family premium: $111.22
You can pay your ongoing TDP premiums by payroll allotment, electronic funds transfer, or debit/credit card. Choose the payment option that works best for you, and update your recurring payments online.
In addition to monthly premiums, you may also have cost-shares. Cost-shares are the percentage you pay of the total amount charged for dental services. There are no cost-shares for diagnostic or preventive services.
Your TDP cost-shares vary based on the sponsor’s pay grade and where you live—that is, whether you have TDP within the continental United States service area or outside of the continental United States service area. Be sure to ask your provider what costs are associated with any dental services they provide so you know what your out-of-pocket costs will be. For a breakdown of covered services and their cost-shares, check out the cost-shares table.
You have plan maximums with TDP coverage. Plan maximums are the most TRICARE will pay for certain dental services. Knowing these maximums can help you budget if a procedure exceeds what TRICARE will pay.
TDP has three types of plan maximums:
- Annual Benefit Maximum: $1,500 per enrollee
- Orthodontic Lifetime Maximum: $1,750 per enrollee
- Dental Accident Coverage Annual Maximum: $1,200 per enrollee
Remember, your medical and dental coverage are separate and require separate enrollment. To enroll, your sponsor must have 12 months remaining on their service commitment. If you’re eligible for TDP, you can enroll at any time. First-year enrollees are committed to 12 months of coverage, with some exceptions. After 12 months, you can pay month to month for TDP coverage.
You can learn more about TDP on the TRICARE and United Concordia websites. If you have questions or need more info, reach out to United Concordia.
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