TRICARE Retiree Dental Program-NEWS

[thedrifter]

From..."jmontoya" Thank You

TRICARE Retiree Dental Program-NEWS
Dear Editor

Delta Dental has received word that we have been selected to continue
as the contractor for the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) for the
next five years. At www.trdp.org/news/deltadentalwins.html is an
official announcement about the contract award that I am very pleased to
share with you. Please feel free to use this in your newsletters and base
papers.

The TRDP has been a tremendous success since it first began in
1998--and the new five-year contract offers even more enhancements to an
already comprehensive dental benefits program. Highlights of the new contract
that will take effect October 1, 2008 include coverage for certain
posterior composite restorations and implant services and an increase in
the orthodontic lifetime maximum to $1,500.

As your regional marketing representative for the TRDP, I have greatly
appreciated your support and help in making the TRDP such a valuable
and beneficial program for our retired service members and their
families. Before the new contract begins, I will provide you with all-new
program materials for your distribution. I will also be contacting you as we
get closer to the contract start date to discuss in more detail these
changes to the TRDP and to answer any questions you may have.
Sincerely,


Joe Montoya
Marketing Representative
Delta Dental of California
Federal Services
Toll Free: 888-838-8737
Phone: (715) 824-2940
Fax: (715) 824-2949
Web site: www.trdp.org

Ellie

[jmontoya]

Hello -
Delta Dental of California has announced that the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) of the Department of Defense awarded the company a new five-year contract to continue to administer the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP).
The TRDP, authorized by Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1997, offers comprehensive dental benefits as a voluntary option to the nation’s 5 million-plus Uniformed Services retirees and their family members. The new contract becomes effective on October 1, 2008. With a current enrollment of nearly 1,050,000 covered lives, the TRDP is already the nation’s largest voluntary, all-enrollee-paid dental program available to this group.
The enhanced TRDP will feature some additional benefits beginning October 1, including certain implant services at 50 percent of allowable charges, an increase in the orthodontic lifetime maximum from $1,200 to $1,500, and 80 percent coverage for certain posterior composite restorations. Additionally, the enhanced TRDP will be extended to new overseas locations once the new contract is effective.
The TRDP will continue as a national, combined fee-for-service/preferred provider program that offers enrollees access to any licensed dentist in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Canada. While enrollees may seek care from any licensed dentist in the service area, optimal benefits will be available to those enrolled retirees and their family members who choose a participating network dentist. Different options for locating a dentist and obtaining covered services will be available to those enrolled in the enhanced TRDP overseas.
The program still carries a $50-per-person, per-year deductible, with a family cap of $150, and an annual maximum of $1,200 per person against which preventive and diagnostic services are not counted. Coverage for these services, as well as for basic restorative services, periodontic services, endodontic services, oral surgery and dental emergencies, is available on the effective date of coverage.
Coverage for crowns, bridges, full and partial dentures, certain implant services, and orthodontics, payable at 50 percent, will be available after only 12 months of continuous enrollment.
Eligible retirees and their family members can find answers to their questions about the current program as well as enroll using Delta's dedicated TRDP web site at www.trdp.org or by calling the toll-free number at (888) 838-8737. Details about the new TRDP contract will be forthcoming as the effective date draws nearer.

Joe Montoya
Marketing Representative
Delta Dental of California
Federal Services
Phone: (801) 362-6187
Fax: (715) 824-2949
Web site: www.trdp.org