TRICARE Dental changes its carrier to MetLife

  • Published
  • By Mr. James Bowman
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Effective 1 May, 2012 the TRICARE Dental Program carrier will be MetLife. Family members of active duty, National Guard and Reserve members as well as family members of National Guard and Reserve members who are not on active duty orders are eligible.

TRICARE Management Activity has actively engaged the services to develop requirements to ensure the highest quality dental health care plan for beneficiaries.

The TDP offers worldwide coverage and beneficiaries living in overseas locations will benefit from the new enhancements. There is no dental network in overseas locations, but there will continue to be a list of participating host nation providers.

Active duty will not need to take any action; the TDP will be automatically deducted from their LES.

Members of the National Guard, Reserves and others will have to make payments via a credit card or bank account deductions and will have to reauthorize payment with MetLife. Due to privacy issues United Concordia cannot pass banking or credit card information to MetLife.

"Families will have between 21 March and 1 May 2012 to change the allotment from Untied Concordia to MetLife to ensure no loss of coverage. If a service member is deployed and cannot enroll into the TDP they will have to give a specialized Power of Attorney to the spouse which allows them to enter in the contract.

Sponsors must have at least 12months to enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program. All enrollees must remain enrolled in the TDP for at least 12 months unless the disenrollment request qualifies as an exception. Consult the TDP Web site for specific active duty family member disenrollment exceptions and National Guard/Reserve sponsors and family member disenrollment exceptions.

Additional information on the new contract is available at www.tricare.mil/TDPcontract. Benefit updates are available at www.tricare.mil or by email alerts. Sign up at www.tricare.mil/subscriptions.