The costs for the voluntary dental program depend on the sponsor’s military status, as well as how many people are covered in the plan. Dentists are available in the United Concordia dental network in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Active-duty service members don’t pay for dental care, but the dental program offers coverage for their family members, as well as National Guard and Reserve members and their eligible family members.

The monthly premium for one family member of an active-duty service member in pay grades E-4 and below will increase by $0.14, up to $8.79 per month. For more than one family member, the monthly premium will increase by $0.37, up to $22.85.

For sponsors in pay grades E-5 and above, the monthly premium for one family member increases by $0.19, to $11.72. The monthly premium for more than one family member will increase by $0.49, to $30.47

The largest cost increase for the dental program comes for nonmobilized Individual Ready Reserve members buying coverage for themselves and family, increasing by $1.72 a month, to $105.48.

This coverage is separate from medical coverage, and requires separate enrollment. To enroll, the sponsor must have at least one year of military service remaining. The new premiums take effect automatically for those who are already enrolled.

The dental program is a pay-ahead program, meaning payments are for the next month of coverage. The new monthly rates take effect March 1, but families will see the change in their February bill. The rates are effective through February 2027.

Beneficiaries can find out more information about enrolling and payment options here.

In 2025, many military families saw decreases in their monthly Tricare dental premiums, with some active-duty families seeing their premiums drop by nearly one-third.

Tricare dental premiums will decrease slightly for the next four months, bringing modest savings for military families at a time when some are feeling the squeeze of rising consumer costs.

The new monthly premiums, effective Nov. 1 to Feb. 28, 2025, vary based on the sponsor’s status and the enrollment type, with reductions ranging from $0.26 to $3 a month.

Active duty family members, National Guard and Reserve members and their family members are eligible for the Tricare Dental Program, a voluntary plan separate from Tricare medical coverage. The program is administered by United Concordia.

At the time of this article’s original publication Thursday, information was not immediately available from Defense Health Agency officials about what would happen to rates after Feb. 28.

On Friday, Defense Health Agency spokesman Brenda Campbell told Military Times that a new Tricare Dental Program contract begins March 1. The premium rates under the new contract will be posted soon after the beginning of 2025. Starting March 1, rates will change on that date each year and be effective until the last day of February the following year.

The current dental plan premium rates have been in effect since May 1, 2023.

Tricare Dental Program rates “change periodically,” said Douglas Elsesser, a program analyst with the Dental Program Section of Tricare at the Defense Health Agency, in a DHA announcement of the rate decreases. “This helps premiums stay current with the market while maintaining affordable coverage for you and your family.”

Military families pay the premiums monthly for the next month’s coverage. In addition to the premiums, there are cost-shares for certain dental services, which have remained the same.

Tricare dental premium rates effective Nov. 1 through Feb. 28, 2025:

Active duty:

• Sponsor only: Not applicable, as dental benefits are provided through Active Duty Dental Program
• One family member: $12.10; decrease of $0.26 from $12.36
• More than one family member: $31.46; decrease of $0.67 from $32.13

Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve (mobilization)

• Sponsor only: $12.10; decrease of $0.26 from $12.36
• Single (one family member, doesn’t include sponsor): $30.25; decrease of $0.64 from $30.89, according to the Tricare website
• Family (more than one family member, doesn’t include sponsor): $78.64; decrease of $1.69 from $80.33
• Sponsor and family: $90.74; decrease of $1.95 from $92.69

Individual Ready Reserve (non-mobilization)

• Sponsor only: $30.25; decrease of $0.64 from $30.89
• Single: $30.25; decrease of $0.64 from $30.89
• Family: $78.64; decrease of $2.19 from $80.83
• Sponsor and family: $108.89; decrease of $3 from $111.89

Originally the deadline to enroll was Dec. 10, but officials with the Office of Personnel Management have recognized there’s a need for more time, especially for many retirees who have been getting their dental insurance coverage through the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, said Kathy Beasley, a retired Navy captain who is director of government relations for health affairs for the Military Officers Association of America. She said officials informed her of the “belated enrollment phase” during a meeting Dec. 13.

TRDP coverage ends Dec. 31. If they still want to be covered under a government dental plan, retirees must enroll themselves and their family members in FEDVIP. Coverage begins Jan. 1.

As of Dec. 13, there were 639,000 military retirees who had enrolled in FEDVIP dental plans. FEDVIP is available to military retirees whether or not they were enrolled in TRDP.

Beasley said officials at the Office of Personnel Management didn’t specify a deadline date for those in the military community to enroll in FEDVIP, other than it’s an extra three months.

Further information was not available from the Office of Personnel Management.

FEDVIP dental insurance plans: Military retirees and their family members enrolled in Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, or using Tricare for Life are now eligible for these programs. There are at least 10 choices available to potential enrollees through FEDVIP. Premium costs vary by geographic area, and among the different insurance carriers. But within each national plan available throughout the country and internationally, the other features and benefits of that national dental carrier will stay the same from one area to another. Visit www.benefeds.com.

FEDVIP vision insurance plans. Most active-duty family members, retirees and reservists and their family members are now eligible for this new vision benefit under FEDVIP that provides extra coverage beyond what they’re getting under Tricare plans. The FEDVIP vision coverage is effective Jan. 1. As of Dec. 13, eligible Tricare beneficiaries enrolled in 300,000 FEDVIP vision plans. Visit www.benefeds.com.

Defense health officials have also extended the deadline to Dec. 31 for switching between Tricare Prime and Tricare Select. Beginning Jan. 1, you’ll only be able to change plans or enroll in a plan during the annual open season, or following a qualifying life event, such as marriage, birth, adoption, divorce or retiring. Visit https://tricare.mil/bwe

What’s this thing called FEDVIP?

The Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, is a voluntary program that provides supplemental dental and vision benefits to federal civilian employees, retirees, and their families. FEDVIP allows those eligible to buy dental and vision insurance on a group basis with competitive premiums and no pre-existing condition limitations. (Some, but not all, of the dental plans have a waiting period for orthodontics.)

There are no government contributions toward premiums. FEDVIP offers 15 dental plans, including some that are specific to certain areas, but at least 10 dental plan choices are available to any potential enrollee. There are eight vision plan choices available to all. Some of the plans offer both “high” and “standard” options.

Why is this change being made?

It was mandated by Congress in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act “to offer eligible beneficiaries the opportunity to purchase dental and vision insurance currently available to federal employees” under FEDVIP, according to the report accompanying the law.

When is the deadline to enroll in FEDVIP?

The FEDVIP open enrollment period is Nov. 12 to Dec. 10. The coverage is effective beginning Jan. 1, 2019.

There will be a process for enrollment for service members who retire after Dec. 10, but specific information was not yet available.

How do I enroll in FEDVIP?

Visit Tricare.benefeds.com. You can compare different plans available and rates based on your ZIP code. You’ll be able to enroll starting Nov. 12.

What happens if I don’t enroll in FEDVIP dental coverage?

You can enroll between Nov. 12 and Dec. 10. If you have Tricare Retiree Dental Program coverage and you don’t enroll in FEDVIP by Dec. 10, you won’t have dental coverage through the government on Jan. 1. Your next shot at getting into FEDVIP will be the next open enrollment season — November 2019. Under FEDVIP, open enrollment seasons are when you can enroll in, change or cancel a FEDVIP dental or vision plan.

Who in the military community is eligible for FEDVIP dental coverage? Am I eligible if I didn’t have Tricare Retiree Dental Program coverage?

Anyone eligible for Tricare Retiree Dental Program coverage is eligible for FEDVIP — even if you didn’t previously enroll in that Tricare dental program. That includes all retirees and their families, retired Guard and Reserve members and their families, Medal of Honor recipients and their families, and survivors.

Those who were medically retired and those using Tricare for Life are in that retiree eligibility group, as are their eligible family members.

What about active duty members and families?

Active duty military members don’t qualify for FEDVIP dental or vision plans. They continue to get their care from military hospitals or clinics. Active duty families aren’t eligible for the dental coverage under the FEDVIP, but they are eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage. Their dental coverage continues to be provided by Tricare.

That said, FEDVIP dental coverage for active duty families is coming. This year, Congress passed a law that authorizes active duty family members, non-activated Guard and Reserve members and their families to be eligible for FEDVIP dental benefits, beginning no earlier than 2022.

Reserve component members and their family members who are enrolled in Tricare Reserve Select aren’t eligible for FEDVIP dental coverage, either, but they’re eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage.

What are the differences between the Tricare Retiree Dental Program and the FEDVIP?

The primary difference is choice. With the Tricare program, there was one plan, “one size fits all.” With FEDVIP, there are at least 10 dental plan choices available to each person. The cost varies between the plans, and in many instances FEDVIP dental plans offer better coverage and lower premiums than the Tricare retiree benefit.

Like the Tricare program, the monthly dental premiums for FEDVIP vary depending on location.

Under FEDVIP, there are no deductibles when using in-network dentists. Under the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, there was a $50 annual deductible for each person.

Under FEDVIP, major services like crowns, bridges, dentures and implants don’t have a waiting period. Under the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, there is a 12-month waiting period for those services, unless the service member enrolled within four months after retirement.

Are there differences in coverage other than the cost of premiums between different areas?

The different dental insurance carriers generally have two levels of coverage: “high” and “standard.”

The premiums for high plans cost more than a carrier’s standard plan, but the patient pays a bigger percentage of the cost of certain services under the standard plan. For example, under the FEP BlueDental in San Antonio, the monthly premium cost under the standard plan is about half of what it is for the high plan. But the retiree would pay 45 percent of the cost — a 45 percent co-pay — for intermediate services (such as fillings) under the standard plan, compared with 30 percent under the high plan.

There are differences in premium rates between areas and among the carriers. But within each national plan available throughout the country and internationally, the other features and benefits of that national dental carrier will stay the same from one area to another. Thus, the percentage of co-pay stays the same across the board for that carrier, as well as the annual maximum benefit, etc.

Do retirees have to enroll every year in FEDVIP?

Once you enroll in a FEDVIP plan, it automatically continues unless you want to make changes during the annual open enrollment season.

Can I make changes outside open season?

Yes, if you experience a qualifying life event such as getting married, losing other dental or vision coverage, adding a family member, or losing a family, to name a few examples.

How do retirees pay for the FEDVIP coverage?

Retirees can make their premium payments from their retirement pay. If the retirement pay isn’t enough to cover premium payments, the retiree can pay by automatic bank withdrawal. Credit card payments aren’t an option.

Comprehensive vision coverage under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, is effective Jan. 1, but you must enroll during the open enrollment season, which runs from Nov. 12 through Dec. 10.

This coverage is not available to active-duty service members. They continue to get their care through their military hospital or clinic.

In general, those who are enrolled in a Tricare health plan are eligible for the FEDVIP vision coverage. Those eligible also include Guard and Reserve members or family members enrolled in Tricare Reserve Select, as well as retirees and family members using Tricare For Life.

FEDVIP is a voluntary program that provides supplemental dental and vision benefits to federal civilian employees, retirees and their families.

This comprehensive vision coverage includes eyeglasses or contacts, in addition to routine eye examinations that many beneficiaries get under Tricare Prime or Tricare Select.

There are four vision carriers — Aetna, FEP BlueVision, UnitedHealthcare Vision and VSP Vision Care.

Go to Tricare.benefeds.com for rates, co-pay information and other benefit information.

Here’s a comparison of some of the elements of the vision plans. All the carriers offer both high and standard plan options for coverage. Within each carrier plan, the premium rates are the same nationally and internationally.

Consider your vision needs, and those of your family members, as you look at costs and features between the plans. Everyone’s needs are different.

The FEDVIP benefit offers additional vision coverage over and above what’s available through Tricare. There are some restrictions and limitations within different vision plans, but generally the FEDVIP vision plans offer:

• Routine eye exams and vision correction without referral.
• Low vision exams. Low vision is loss of sight that can’t be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or surgery.
• Eyeglass frames and lenses, or contact lenses instead of glasses, at many eye doctor offices and optical retail stores.
• Lens options such as shatter-resistant polycarbonate; scratch-resistant, anti-reflective, and UV coatings; and tinted and progressive lenses.
• Discounts on laser eye surgery.

Are you ready for the big change coming to dental coverage for military retirees and their families?

For the 1.4 million beneficiaries who are enrolled in the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, that program ends Dec. 31.

All military retirees will be eligible to enroll in the federal employee dental program for coverage that begins Jan. 1. That includes another 1.3 million eligible retired beneficiaries who aren’t currently enrolled in TRDP.

No retiree is automatically enrolled in the new program — called the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. Retirees must enroll, and they must do it during a specific time frame, starting Nov. 12 and ending Dec. 10.

“This is a big culture change on many levels,” said Kathy Beasley, a retired Navy captain who is director of government relations for health affairs at the Military Officers Association of America.

“Retirees now have choices, and they have to make these choices in a narrow frame of time,” she said.

Retirees have a month to look at the choices available and determine what kind of coverage is best for them and their families. But advocates and experts advise starting that research early. The details of each plan are available at Tricare Benefeds, which includes an online tool for comparing the features of the plans.

Information was not available from the American Dental Association about whether more dentists are willing to accept FEDVIP plans than the current Tricare Retiree Dental Program, or whether FEDVIP plans in general cover more of patients’ dental care.

However, in an article in ADA News on Sept. 6, the chair of the ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs stated that the benefits of patients using the Tricare Retiree Dental Program “may be significantly different” following enrollment in the FEDVIP.

Dentist offices “should have a conversation about the patients’ needs and their new benefits, along with explaining the office’s financial policies,” said Dr. Steven Snyder, in the ADA News article. “Experiences that offices have with the national carriers already participating in the federal plan may give them a sense of what to expect in terms of processing policies and documentation requirements for claims for these patients.”

Defense officials also recommend that retirees talk with their dentist, because many of those dentists accept FEDVIP plans. Retirees should also ask their dentist about dental needs expected for next year.

Delta Dental, which administers the Tricare Retiree Dental Plan, is one of the dental carriers that offers plans in FEDVIP, but the Delta Dental FEDVIP plan is different than what was offered under Tricare, so you should compare all plans available to you under FEDVIP before making a decision.

Aside from FEDVIP, there are other options out there for dental and vision insurance. You should compare what your employer or your spouse’s employer offers. You can also check with some of the major insurance carriers. Other options include companies and organizations like AARP and USAA, which offer dental and vision insurance.

Frank Yoakum, a retired Army sergeant major who is executive director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the U.S., said he studied the various plans, then went to his dentist’s office to ask the insurance expert about whether they are in the provider network of any of the FEDVIP plans. He asked what’s best for his family’s situation.

For his dentist, it boiled down to three insurance carriers, one of which they didn’t recommend. So, he’s in the process of evaluating the details of those two carriers’ plans.

Yoakum cautioned retirees who made plan comparisons and decisions before Oct. 1, when the new rates and plan details were made public, to recheck their decisions as some of the details besides rates have changed.

To find out what has changed in any of the plans for 2019, check the plan brochure, available on the Tricare.benefeds.com website. There is a page in each brochure that lists all the changes for 2019.

Sharon Kullander, a retired government civilian and wife of an Air Force retiree, said she continued their FEDVIP coverage after she retired from her agency. She and her husband never considered switching to the Tricare retiree dental program because of the experience of her brother, also an Air Force retiree.

“His experience had not been good,” she said.

Because of the low annual maximum dental benefit for Tricare retirees, her brother hit that cap quickly one year and had to delay needed, expensive dental implants.

Kullander talked to some previous coworkers who had retired about their decisions in coverage. In considering her options, she looked at whether the plan covers two dental checks and cleanings each year, how much it pays for crowns, whether there’s an annual maximum dental benefit, and the cost. She did change carriers after retirement because of the cost.

She didn’t take the lowest level of coverage, she said, “because I wanted it to cover crowns. I knew I would have to get more of them.”

She’s never come close to hitting her annual maximum benefit with her FEDVIP plan. And she’s never changed her carrier, she said, “because they’ve always paid as expected.”

Some advocates are concerned about the upcoming transition from the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, which ends Dec. 31. It’s being replaced by the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP), traditionally available to federal civilian employees, retirees and their families. But retirees are not automatically enrolled in the new FEDVIP coverage. They must enroll between Nov. 12 and Dec. 10, or they won’t have coverage on Jan. 1.

“My biggest fear is that there are going to be so many retirees who are not going to get the word until they try to go to the dentist,” said Frank Yoakum, a retired Army sergeant major who is executive director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. “They’ll find out they have no dental coverage. They missed the boat … so they have to wait until next year’s open season to make a choice for 2020. They’ll go without dental care for a year.”

About 1.6 million beneficiaries are currently enrolled in the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, and another 1.3 million are eligible retirees who aren’t currently enrolled in that program. All of those nearly 3 million beneficiaries are eligible for FEDVIP.

DoD and Office of Personnel Management officials have taken a variety of steps to push out the word on social media and other avenues. While Defense Department officials have sent letters and postcards to military retirees about the change, there may be some who didn’t open the mail, or their current address hasn’t been updated in the DoD system, Yoakum said.

“I think that train wreck is on its way,” he said.

Military retirees also have choices now — everyone has at least 10 dental plan choices available. Military retirees have been used to a one-size-fits-all plan, said Kathy Beasley, a retired Navy captain who is director of government relations for health affairs at the Military Officers Association of America. Making the choice about which option best fits their dental needs and wallet “has been overwhelming for some,” she said.

For information about the FEDVIP plans and choices, click here.

Yoakum, Beasley and other advocates are concerned that many older retirees who are not computer-savvy may not be able to access the information they need to make those choices.

How to compare all those plans

Yoakum said older retirees who are EANGUS members want to be able to lay out printed comparisons of plans side by side, to make their decisions. Yoakum said he has been going to the Tricare.benefeds.com site, and plugging in ZIP codes of some members who have contacted him, and mailing the side-by-side comparisons to them. BENEFEDS administers FEDVIP enrollment and premium payment processes.

According to an OPM spokesman, retirees can call toll-free 877-888-3337 to request a plan comparison, and BENEFEDS will provide a table based on the retiree’s ZIP code, placed in the mail the day after the phone call. The table will show each plan available, the plan’s phone number and website, and the rate for each plan, specific to the retiree’s ZIP code.

However, it was not immediately clear whether the printed plan comparison would also include other features of each available plan, such as amount of co-pay and the annual maximum benefit, similar to what the website comparison tool provides.

“Just because I have the rates, doesn’t mean I have sufficient information,” Yoakum said.

Military retirees who call the toll-free BENEFEDS number should wait for the prompt for uniformed services retirees; then say “rates”; then say “agent” to reach someone who can take your information and mail the plan comparison. The customer service agents can answer enrollment questions, but they can’t recommend a plan nor discuss benefits or dental and vision providers.

Unlike military retirees who aren’t familiar with the plethora of FEDVIP plans, federal employees who retire are already accustomed to the plans and choices in FEDVIP that were available to them when they were working.

The enrollment period for coverage under the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, is Nov. 12 to Dec. 10, but the time to start comparisons is now, said Kathy Beasley, director of government relations, health affairs, for the Military Officers Association of America.

For retirees, the FEDVIP replaces the Tricare Retiree Dental Program, which ends Dec. 31. In order to have dental and vision coverage on Jan. 1, retirees must sign up during the enrollment period. Active duty families are still eligible for dental coverage under Tricare, but if they want the new vision coverage, they must sign up during the enrollment period.

“We want to get this information out as soon as we can to give people extra time to make their decisions,” Beasley said, noting the Office of Personnel Management had provided the information early, in advance of being published on Tricare.benefeds.com. The rate information is available here, and will be available in early October on the website, along with a comparison tool that helps in making the choice.

The rates and options vary among the different plans, but according to Beasley, officials with the Office of Personnel Management said the average gross dental premium for 2019 increases by 1.2 percent compared to rates for 2018. That does vary; for example, the FEP BlueDental rates for 2019 are decreasing on average by 6.8 percent for the high option and by 7.8 percent for the standard option, according to William A. Breskin, senior vice president of government programs for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

The actual premium will depend on the plan chosen, but across the carriers, the average dental premium rates for 2019:

The average vision gross premium is decreasing by 2.8 percent in 2019.

The actual premium will depend on the plan chosen, but across the carriers, the average vision premium rates for 2019:

It’s difficult to compare costs under the new plan with current costs under the Tricare Retiree Dental Program because the TRDP is a “one size fits all” program.

Beasley said many MOAA members have said they looked at the 2018 FEDVIP prices compared to TRDP, and can’t find the exact same coverage and prices for comparison purposes. The FEDVIP offers a variety of different plans and options, with 10 different companies offering dental options for dental coverage, and four different companies offering vision coverage.

She said officials at OPM, the Defense Health Agency, military service organizations and veterans service organizations have joined forces in the last few months to get the word out to retirees about the new retiree dental plan options, but some apparently don’t know about the changes. She said she was in Huntsville, Alabama, giving a briefing, and about half of the retirees she spoke to had heard about the changes.

As retirees evaluate their choices for the new dental plan, Beasley suggests that if they like their current dentist, they should ask their dentist whether they accept a FEDVIP plan, and talk about next year’s dental needs.

“Your dentist knows your dental health and what you might anticipate in the future,” she said. “Do your due diligence and look at the pricing. Use the plan comparison tool, and make your decision based on that.”

The Tricare Retiree Dental Program ends Dec. 31 and will be replaced by the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. Most military retirees and their families who are enrolled in Tricare will be able to enroll in FEDVIP for dental coverage, vision coverage or both.

Military officials have been getting the word out in a variety of ways, include postcards to the millions of retirees and families eligible for the coverage.

Active-duty family members are eligible to sign up for vision coverage under FEDVIP, but not dental coverage. Active-duty members and their family members may still enroll in the Tricare Dental Program. The vision coverage, including eyeglasses or contacts, is in addition to the routine eye examination benefit that many beneficiaries currently have under Tricare Prime or Select.

That FEDVIP coverage will be effective Jan. 1, but you can’t enroll in FEDVIP just yet. The enrollment period is during the federal benefits open season, which runs Nov. 12 through Dec. 10.

Retirees and their family members must enroll during the open season to get that dental and/or vision coverage in 2019. The only way to enroll in the FEDVIP, or change that coverage, outside of that enrollment period is if there has been a qualifying life event: a marriage, for example, or retirement from the military.

During the open season, you can choose between 10 dental carriers and four vision carriers. In some cases, the dental carrier is limited to certain regions of the country; other dental carriers provide national and international coverage.

Some carriers offer standard coverage as well as a premium plan. Those who tend to need more costly dental procedures, or expect to, might consider whether the higher-cost coverage is more cost-effective.

The 2019 rates and plan information for the carriers isn’t expected to be available until around mid-October.

In the meantime, there are some steps you can take to prepare, according to Defense Health Agency spokesman Kevin Dwyer:

• Make sure your information is up to date in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, better known as DEERS. Defense Health Agency officials have sent postcards to all military retirees who are eligible to enroll in FEDVIP, Dwyer said. If you haven’t received a postcard, that may mean that officials don’t have a good mailing address for you.

• Go to the FEDVIP site for military beneficiaries, operated by the Office of Personnel Management: https://tricare.benefeds.com/InfoPortal/indexAction. There you’ll find information about the program, and you can get an idea of what the different carriers offer and how it works, by looking at the 2018 rates. Remember, those numbers will likely change.
• At Tricare.benefeds.com, you can sign up for updates about the FEDVIP program, by email and text. 

Some families already are seeking advice from their dentists on which plan best suits them, said Karen Ruedisueli, government relations deputy director for the National Military Family Association.

Overall, she said, “I’m sensing some excitement about the option to pick the plan that meets your needs.”