Dover families benefit from new dental insurance policy

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Shen-Chia Chu
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Team Dover families now have a convenient option to cut down their waiting time for dental appointments by choosing their own dentists.

Family members of active-duty Airmen can now seek any dental care in the following zip code areas: 19901, 19902, 19903, 19904 and 19709.

While active-duty Airmen receive dental treatment from the 436th Dental Squadron, their family members use dentists off base. Previously, family members were encouraged to use dentists who participated in TRICARE because it meant less out-of-pocket costs. However, they could go to any dentist if they were willing to pay extra.

The new policy means Airmen won't have to pay extra for their family to be seen by a dentist who does not participate in the TRICARE Dental Program. TRICARE policy requires the average wait time to be seen by a dentist for routine care be no more than 21 days. However, when 436th Dental Squadron NCOs conducted research in June, Dover's waiting period did not meet that requirement.

"Only 39 percent of dentists in a 25-mile radius of the Dover area participate in the TRICARE Dental Program," said Col. James Cocklin, 436th Dental Squadron commander. "Because of that, the average wait time for a routine dental appointment was 51 days.

"Wing leadership is concerned about military family members receiving dental care in a timely manner, so this information was pushed up to Air Mobility Command and Air Staff." he said.

Due to the 51-day wait time associated with family-member appointments, TRICARE will now pay claims for any dentist within the five fore mentioned zip codes surrounding Dover, said Colonel Cocklin. However, servicemembers must still cover the co-pay.

"Scheduling for a prompter dentist appointment in this area is nearly impossible," said Michelle Allen, military spouse of Staff Sgt. James Allen, 436th Services Squadron. "Now with the new policy to visit more dentists in the area, this will help me and my three-year-old son Noah to be seen for our dental problems sooner."

United Concordia is working to get more dentists in the Dover area to participate in the insurance plan. For information, call United Concordia TRICARE Dental Program customer service at (800) 866-8499 or visit the TRICARE Service Center in the 436th Medical Group in Building 300. For Web site information, visit www.TRICAREdentalprogram.com.