Tricare drops some dependents’ dental plans

Tricare drops some dependents’ dental plans
By Lisa Burgess and Charlie Reed, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, November 21, 2007

ARLINGTON, Va. — Overseas military family members who need dental work may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

As of Dec. 3, Tricare Dental Program (TDP) enrollees who are not command-sponsored will no longer be eligible to receive overseas TDP cost-sharing benefits.

Until now, Tricare had been paying the cost-shares and other out-of-pocket expenses for many TDP dental services for all TDP enrollees living outside the continental United States.

After Dec. 3, plan enrollees who are not command-sponsored will be responsible for the same costs as beneficiaries living in the United States.

Such individuals also will be responsible for any difference between the dentist’s charge and the allowable cost negotiated for each procedure between Tricare and dental contractor United Concordia.

~snip~

In a press release announcing the change, Tricare officials said “paying for TDP cost-share benefits for noncommand-sponsored family members was inconsistent with other Tricare programs and Defense Department policy.”


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50408