Military Retirees Will Soon Have New Dental/Vision Plans

The Office of Personnel Management announced that the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program will be offered for the first time to TRICARE eligible retirees and their families during the 2018 Federal Benefits Open Season. Active duty family members will be eligible to enroll in FEDVIP vision insurance.

The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) ends December 31, 2018, therefore enrollees in this program must choose a dental plan through FEDVIP to have coverage in 2019 as enrollment isn’t automatic. This announcement affects 1.63 million beneficiaries enrolled in TRDP and offers a choice to an additional 1.3 million eligible retired beneficiaries not currently enrolled in TRDP.

Most covered under a TRICARE plan may enroll in a FEDVIP vision plan. This coverage, including eyeglasses or contacts, is in addition to the routine eye exam benefit that many beneficiaries have under TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select.

The Federal Benefits Open Season enrollment period will run from November 12, 2018, to December 10, 2018, and it runs concurrently with the TRICARE Open Season. Coverage will be effective January 1, 2019.

“OPM is thrilled to offer a variety of quality vision and dental plans to our military retirees and their families, and for the first time, an option for vision insurance to active duty family members,” said OPM Director Jeff Pon. “We look forward to providing FEDVIP to the military, their families, and retirees.”

While this may be a few months off, it’s important to plan and prepare now to avoid surprises or lapse in coverage.