TRICARE Dental program changes for active duty dependents Published April 12, 2017 By Bernadette Watson-Blake TRICARE Effective May 1, the TRICARE dental program administrator for active duty dependents and families of Guard/Reserve members is changing from MetLife to United Concordia. This transition will result in lower dental premiums. In some cases, premiums will drop by $15 per month; however, a typical active duty family with two or more dependents will see their premium decrease from $34.68 to $28.87, for a monthly savings of $5.81. No changes are occurring to the retiree dental program. Under United Concordia, family members will also see several benefit improvements and a renewed focus on dental education and prevention. For example, the annual maximum dental benefit will increase from $1,300 to $1,500, and sealants will be provided for children at no cost in lieu of the current 20 percent copay. Also, children enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System will automatically be added to their family’s plan when they reach one year old, rather than four years old under the current program. The transition from MetLife to United Concordia will be seamless for most dependents who are already enrolled to the TRICARE dental program. No action is required to switch to United Concordia; however, the network of dental providers will change. Some dentists will be added to the network, and some dentists will not be providers under the new program beginning May 1. It is recommended that patients check to see if their current dentist is in fact a member of the United Concordia dental network prior to getting any treatment. To see a listing of United Concordia dentists, please visit www.uccitdp.com or call (844) 653-4061. For more information please visit: www.tricare.mil.