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Program Overview
Since 1998, the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) has been the premier dental benefits plan created by Congress especially for Uniformed Services retirees and their family members. The information on this site will introduce you to this unique program, from the rules that determine eligibility and a description of the service area allows enrollees broad access to coverage, to their options in choosing a dentist and instructions on how to help eligible retirees enroll in the program—all designed around a comprehensive scope of benefits to help our retired Uniformed service members and their families gain and maintain good dental health.

Under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Federal Government Programs division of Delta Dental of California administers the TRDP. Today, this valuable program offers:

• Comprehensive coverage for the most commonly needed and sought-after dental services, with the full scope of major benefits like crowns, bridges, dentures, dental implant services and orthodontics available after only 12 months.
• Optimum cost savings and program value by giving enrollees the option to choose from an expansive list of participating network dentists in over 150,000 locations nationwide who have agreed to provide treatment for TRDP enrollees at significantly reduced fees. (Enrollees may also choose any licensed dentist within the service area who is not in the TRDP network, but the dentist fees may be higher.)
• Affordable monthly premiums deducted automatically from Uniformed Services retired pay.
• Coverage for emergency care for Enhanced Program enrollees traveling overseas.

Effective October 1, 2008, enrollees who live outside the designated TRDP service area (the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Canada) are now eligible for the same great comprehensive coverage worldwide, under the new Enhanced-Overseas Program.

Service Area
Covered services under the TRDP are offered anywhere in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Canada. To be eligible for reimbursement, covered services for TRDP enrollees living within this area must be provided by a licensed dentist within this area. When traveling outside this enrollment area, Enhanced TRDP enrollees are covered only for emergency treatment as necessary. (The exception to this policy is a family member enrolled in the Enhanced TRDP who is a full-time student overseas; this individual can receive comprehensive benefits under the Enhanced TRDP, worldwide. In order for TRDP claims to be processed for this individual, it will be necessary to provide documentation of the individual's full-time enrollment in a study program overseas.)

Eligible retirees and their family members who reside outside the Enhanced TRDP service area described above may enroll in the Enhanced-Overseas TRDP to receive comprehensive benefits worldwide. The dental benefits and policies of the Enhanced-Overseas Program are the same as those of the Enhanced Program except where specified in the supplemental guide for the Enhanced-Overseas TRDP.

Eligibility
To enroll in the TRDP, an individual must be one of the following. Note that individuals who meet the criteria below and who live within the designated TRDP service area are enrolled in the Enhanced Program (group 4601); eligible individuals who live overseas (outside of the designated TRDP service area) are enrolled in the Enhanced-Overseas TRDP (group 4602).

• A member of the Uniformed Services who is entitled to Uniformed Services retired pay, including those age 65 or older.
• A member of the retired Reserve/Guard who, regardless of age, has transferred to Retired Reserve status (as defined under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Section 10141(b)), including those in the “gray-area”  who are entitled to retired pay but will not actually begin receiving it until age 60.
• A current spouse of an enrolled member.
• A child of an enrolled member, up to age 21, or to age 23 if a full-time student (proof of full-time student status required), or older if he/she becomes disabled before losing eligibility.
• An unremarried surviving spouse or eligible child of a deceased member who died while in retired status or while on active duty.
• A Medal of Honor recipient and eligible family members, or an unremarried surviving spouse/eligible family members of a deceased recipient.
• A current spouse and/or eligible child of a non-enrolled member with documented proof the non-enrolled member is: (a) eligible to receive ongoing comprehensive dental care from the Department of Veterans Affairs; (b) enrolled in a dental plan through employment and the plan is not available to family members; or (c) unable to obtain benefits through the TRDP due to a current and enduring medical or dental condition. Written documentation supporting any of these three situations must be submitted with your enrollment application.

Former spouses and remarried surviving spouses are not eligible at this time.

Benefits
This chart provides an overview of coverage under the Enhanced TRICARE Retiree Dental Program for enrollees who visit a participating TRDP network dentist. A TRDP enrollee’s total out-of-pocket costs may be higher if care is received from a non-TRDP network dentist. For more information on all covered services and detailed information on benefit levels, limitations, exclusions, program policies and payments for out-of-network dentists (including overseas dentists), please see the Enhanced Program Benefits Booklets and Enhanced-Overseas TRDP Supplement guide on this website.

*The percentage paid by Delta Dental is based on the allowed amount for each procedure. Out-of-pocket costs may be higher if care is received from a non-TRDP network dentist.

Dentist Network
Enrolled members of the TRDP can save the most on their out-of-pocket expenses by choosing a participating TRDP dentist network in one of over 150,000 locations nationwide. These network dentists have agreed to provide TRDP enrollees with quality dental care at significantly reduced fees and to submit all their claims paperwork as well as provide other services that save enrollees time and additional money and add value to their enrollment.

If an enrollee goes to a non-TRDP network dentist, Delta Dental pays the same percentage of covered services but cannot guarantee the dentist’s fees. Non-TRDP network dentists will bill enrollees for their normal fees, which may be higher than the program’s allowed amount for the service. The enrollee will be responsible for paying the applicable copayment plus any difference between the program’s allowed amount and the dentist’s billed charge.

Delta Dental does not maintain a dentist network overseas. Enrollees in the Enhanced-Overseas Program, and enrollees in the Enhanced Program seeking emergency care overseas who need to locate a dentist can refer to the overseas host nation provider search tool on this website, or call Delta Dental's international dentist referral service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for a referral to an overseas dentist.

Enrollment
Enrollment in the TRDP is voluntary. Each new enrollee electing to enroll must fulfill an initial enrollment period of 12 consecutive months. After the initial 12-month period, enrollees become eligible for the full scope of benefits offered under the Enhanced TRDP and can continue their enrollment in the TRDP on a month-to-month basis. There is a grace period of 30 days from the coverage effective date during which an enrollee may rescind the enrollment agreement without any further obligation, provided no program services have been used during that time.

If the option to rescind within the 30-day grace period is not exercised, an enrollee must remain enrolled in the program for the duration of the initial 12-month period without further opportunity for voluntary disenrollment.

A new retiree who elects to enroll within four months after retirement from active duty or, in the case of the National Guard or Reserve, transfer to Retired Reserve status, is eligible for a waiver of the 12-month waiting period for the full scope of Enhanced Program benefits. A copy of the enrollee’s retirement orders must be submitted with the enrollment application to verify eligibility for this waiver. Additionally, it is recommended that those who are retiring soon from the Uniformed Services and who wish to enroll in the TRDP with no gap in coverage should do so in the month prior to their retirement date to ensure that coverage under the TRDP begins as soon as their retirement is effective.

A two-month premium prepayment is required at the time of enrollment to ensure that that the enrollee  and all enrolled family members can receive benefits the first day their coverage becomes effective. Once the mandatory allotment is established, any unused portion of the prepayment will be refunded to the enrollee.

There are three ways to enroll in the TRDP: online, by telephone, and by mail. Coverage will begin on the first day of the month following the acceptance of the enrollment application and a two-month premium prepayment.

Once an enrollment is processed, the enrollee will receive a welcome packet containing membership identification cards and an Enhanced Program Benefits Booklet. In addition to their identification cards and benefits booklet, enrollees in the Enhanced-Overseas Program will receive an Enhanced-Overseas TRDP supplement  that provides details about their Enhanced-Overseas TRDP enrollment. Coverage begins the first day of the month following enrollment, whether or not the enrollee has received his or her  welcome packet. Eligibility can be verified after the first of the month on the TRDP website or by calling Customer Service.

Cost
The TRDP has been designed to provide enrollees and their family members with comprehensive dental benefits at an affordable cost. Monthly premium amounts will vary depending on where the enrollee lives and the number of family members he/she elects to enroll.

Premium rates will change slightly on October 1 of each benefit year. To find out the current premium rate for an enrollee’s region, please use the premium search available on this website. Enrollees in the Enhanced-Overseas Program pay premium rates equivalent to those for Enhanced Program enrollees in Region C.

Federal law mandates that monthly premiums for the TRDP be deducted automatically from Uniformed Services retired pay. If it is determined that Uniformed Services retired pay is not available or is insufficient to allow the automatic deduction, Delta Dental will notify the enrollee of his/her premium payment options by mail.

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