TRICARE Eligibility Overview | TRICARE Dental Program
The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) is a worldwide dental care plan offered to eligible beneficiaries by the Department of Defense through the Defense Health Agency. United Concordia administers the TDP and is committed to help you and your loved ones enjoy good oral health through convenient, cost effective care.
The TDP is divided into two geographical service areas: CONUS and OCONUS. The TDP CONUS service area includes the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The TDP OCONUS service area includes areas not in the CONUS service area and covered services provided on a ship or vessel outside the territorial waters of the CONUS service area, regardless of the dentist’s office address.
TRICARE Eligibility
The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) is available to:
- Family members and legal dependents of members of the eight uniformed services (U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Coast Guard, Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Public Health Service.)
- National Guard and Reserve members
- National Guard and Reserve family members
To be eligible for the TDP, the sponsor must have at least 12 months remaining on his or her service commitment at the time of enrollment.
TRICARE eligibility is confirmed using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Make sure any DEERS records are current to avoid unnecessary processing delays. Check your eligibility or update DEERS.
Are You Eligible for the TRICARE Dental Program?
TRICARE Eligibility
Family members of active duty service members (ADSMs) and National Guard and Reserve family members:
- Spouses
- Unmarried children until reaching age 21 (including stepchildren, adopted children—both pre-adoptive and finalized adoption—, and court-ordered wards). Beneficiaries in this category are eligible up to the end of the month in which they turn 21.
- Unmarried children between ages 21 and 23:
- Up to age 23 if enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning, and if the sponsor provides over 50 percent of the financial support. These students are eligible up to the end of the month in which they turn age 23. However, if the student ends his or her education prior to turning 23, eligibility ends at the end of the month in which their education ends.
- If they have a disabling illness or injury that occurred before their 21st birthday; or they have a disabling illness or injury that occurred between ages 21 and 23 and, at the time of the illness or injury, were enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning, and the sponsor provided over 50 percent of the financial support.
National Guard and Reserve service members:
Members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) and the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve may enroll in the TDP when they are not on active duty orders for a period of more than 30 consecutive days.
Any National Guard or Reserve member who is called or ordered to active duty for a period of more than 30 consecutive days receives the same benefits as an ADSM and cannot be enrolled in the TDP.
Not TRICARE Eligible
- ADSMs, including National Guard and Reserve members called to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days
- Retired service members and their families
- Former spouses
- Parents and parents-in-law
- Disabled veterans
- Foreign military personnel
- Service members in the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) following activation for a contingency operation
