Beginning in May, 2021, Tricare Dental premiums will be increasing a small amount.
The amount of the increase varies depending on what premium group you are in, but on average it’ll go up from $0.05 to $0.47 per month. Your dependent status will also affect what the increase is.
For active duty families, the price is going up from $11.60/month to $11.65/month for single coverage. Since the active duty service member is not included in the rates, single coverage is when there is only a spouse or one child on the plan. For family coverage, the rates will increase from $30.15/month to $30.28.
More details via Military.com:
For non-activated National Guard, selected reserve (what most people consider "the reserves") and mobilization Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), there are four levels of coverage. 1. Sponsor only covers the military service member. 2. Single coverage does not cover the service member, but covers one family member: either a spouse or a child. 3. Family coverage includes the spouse and/or all children, but does not include the service member. 4. Sponsor and family include the military member and their spouse and/or all children.
Finally, for non-mobilization IRR they fall into the same four groups as stated above. The price increases are as follows:
Sponsor Only: Premium will increase from $28.99/month to $29.12/month
Single: Premium will increase from $28.99/month to $29.12/month
Family: Premium will increase from $75.37/month to $75.71/month
Sponsor: Plus Family: Premium will increase from $104.36/month to $104.83/month
If you are enrolled in Tricare Dental coverage and don’t have your premium deducted from your military payroll, please make sure to adjust your payments to the new amount starting in May. This will avoid any loss of coverage.
When weighing whether or not Tricare Dental coverage is a smart choice for you and/or your family, it is important to do a cost-benefit analysis.
Some individuals still end up going the ‘self-insure’ route for their dental care, however most find that Tricare Dental coverage is their best choice.