Military Dental Insurance
Military personnel who have served for their country are entitled to a form of military dental insurance. Options are provided for both serving and retired men and women depending on their circumstances, ensuring that military personnel do not have to find individual insurance. Knowing about these coverage options is the most reliable way to guarantee you receive the best dental care available.
What is military dental insurance designed to do?
The US government acknowledges that men and women who have served their country in the military should be rewarded with comprehensive insurance coverage for their dental and regular health requirements. Military dental programs are set up to make such coverage easy to access for military citizens from all sorts of economic and social backgrounds. They are also designed to recognize the unique circumstances that military persons often find themselves in. Dangerous and risky situations are common due to the nature of military roles, and such exposure is accounted for with military dental and health insurance, which tends to offer fuller coverage than average. Their insurance needs also span internationally, as military roles involve much travel.
What should military dental insurance cover?
Coverage is generally more comprehensive than regular dental insurance, and far-reaching in terms of where you are covered geographically. The full cost of any injuries to teeth or gums sustained while on duty will be covered, and this coverage extends to any location in the world. This eliminates the need to worry about being treated overseas. In addition, the families of military personnel may receive many benefits, especially if they are stationed out of the country for extended periods. You should read through any prospective dental plan for exact details.
Options for serving personnel
For serving men and women, there are two broad coverage options on a national level. Depending on your needs and position in the military you should be eligible for one such program. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) provides considerable dental coverage for those military personnel who qualify. This federal plan extends to many military personnel because they are technically federal government employees, and all of the serving men or women’s dependents can be covered.
A Department of Defense program called the Try-care Dental Program (TDP) is a voluntary insurance plan that covers active duty personnel, plus the reserves, the National Guard, and any dependents of the aforementioned personnel. As well as offering coverage around the world, the TDP provides dental benefits to military families in the event of bereavement of the serving member.
Retired personnel coverage
Some form of military dental insurance is also available to retired personnel. This coverage is likely to extend beyond regular citizen coverage, particularly for gum and tooth problems that have resulted from active service, but also comprising benefits for basic dental care and other family members. The Tricare Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) is the insurance program covering ex-servicemen and servicewomen, certain reserves, and many National Guard members. Coverage is also provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) on a more restricted basis.