Defense officials also recommend that retirees talk with their dentist, because many of those dentists accept FEDVIP plans. Retirees should also ask their dentist about dental needs expected for next year.
Delta Dental, which administers the Tricare Retiree Dental Plan, is one of the dental carriers that offers plans in FEDVIP, but the Delta Dental FEDVIP plan is different than what was offered under Tricare, so you should compare all plans available to you under FEDVIP before making a decision.
Aside from FEDVIP, there are other options out there for dental and vision insurance. You should compare what your employer or your spouse’s employer offers. You can also check with some of the major insurance carriers. Other options include companies and organizations like AARP and USAA, which offer dental and vision insurance.
181012-N-AZ467-0034 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Oct. 12, 2018) Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Mayer gives a dental exam to Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Taneika McKenzie in the dental ward aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) October 12, 2018. Iwo Jima is underway prior to participating in Trident Juncture 2018 which is a NATO-led exercise designed to certify NATO response forces and develop interoperability among participating NATO and partner nations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Seaman Apprentice Travis Baley/Released)
Frank Yoakum, a retired Army sergeant major who is executive director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the U.S., said he studied the various plans, then went to his dentist’s office to ask the insurance expert about whether they are in the provider network of any of the FEDVIP plans. He asked what’s best for his family’s situation.
For his dentist, it boiled down to three insurance carriers, one of which they didn’t recommend. So, he’s in the process of evaluating the details of those two carriers’ plans.
Yoakum cautioned retirees who made plan comparisons and decisions before Oct. 1, when the new rates and plan details were made public, to recheck their decisions as some of the details besides rates have changed.
To find out what has changed in any of the plans for 2019, check the plan brochure, available on the Tricare.benefeds.com website. There is a page in each brochure that lists all the changes for 2019.
Sharon Kullander, a retired government civilian and wife of an Air Force retiree, said she continued their FEDVIP coverage after she retired from her agency. She and her husband never considered switching to the Tricare retiree dental program because of the experience of her brother, also an Air Force retiree.
“His experience had not been good,” she said.
