Family Member Dental Care in Europe

TRICARE AREA OFFICE-EUROPE – For Active Duty Service Members,

getting dental care while stationed in Europe is simple—just visit your local Military

Dental Treatment Facility and ask for an appointment. But if you’re a military family

member, things aren’t always so straightforward.

Military Dental Treatment Facilities in Europe will provide care for Active Duty

Family Members on a space available basis. Whether or not a given dental facility has

available space depends on a variety of factors, including location, branch of service,

deployments, and staff leave. A facility that has space available one month may not have

space available the next.

So how can military family members make sure they can get quality, affordable

dental care whenever they need it? The answer for many families is the TRICARE Dental

Program, or TDP.

What is the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP)?

The TDP is a voluntary, premium-based dental insurance program that offers

coverage for dental procedures received from civilian providers, including host nation

providers for families living overseas. For low monthly premiums of $11.05 for a single

family member or $27.63 for multiple family members, TDP provides coverage for most

dental procedures, from cleanings and sealants to braces and dental implants.

The TDP program in Europe is the same one that covers military families in

CONUS—except it actually offers more benefits. For example, while CONUS

beneficiaries must pay a 20 percent cost share for a filling and 40 percent cost share for a

root canal, beneficiaries in Europe have no cost share at all for these services (for more

specifics, go to www.tricaredentalprogram.com).

Each person enrolled in TDP is covered for an annual maximum of $1,200 per

contract year for all services except orthodontics, for which there is a lifetime maximum

benefit of $1,500.

How do you enroll?

If you were enrolled in the program in CONUS and did not disenroll when you

came to Europe, you are still enrolled. You can find out for sure by checking your

sponsor’s Leave and Earnings Statement.

If you’re not currently participating, you can enroll online using a credit card at

www.tricaredentalprogram.com. After your enrollment, premiums will be deducted from

your monthly pay. Enrollment applications must be received by the 20th day of the

month for coverage to begin on the first day of the next month. Keep in mind that if

UCCI receives your application after the 20th day of the month, your coverage will not

become effective until the first day of the second month.

How do you get care?

Once your enrollment is effective, you can get routine dental care from a host

nation provider whenever you need it—no referral forms or non-availability statements

are necessary except for orthodontic and dental implant services. For these services,

contact the TRICARE Europe Dental Office at 49-(0) 6302-67-6358 or by e-mail at

TDP@europe.tricare.osd.mil.

How do you find a host nation dentist?

The TRICARE Area Office-Europe Dental Office maintains a list of dentists at

www.europe.tricare.osd.mil/dental. In order to be listed as a preferred provider, host

nation dentists must speak English, be licensed in their country and graduates of a dental

school, and meet a list of more than15 other standards of quality. When you use a

TRICARE identified dental provider, you can be confident that you will get good care.

How does your dentist bill get paid?

In most cases, TDP enrollees will pay for care up front and file a claim with

United Concordia Companies, Inc., which manages the program. You can download a

claim form at www.tricaredentalprogram.com or www.europe.tricare.osd.mil/dental.

Send claims to the address on the top of the form or fax them to (001) 717-260-7367.

Some host nation dental providers may agree to wait for payment until after the

claim has been filed. If so, you can request in Block 14 of the Claim Form that payment

be made directly to your provider. Check with the provider you choose before you get

care to see if this will be acceptable.

When you file a claim, be sure to include an itemized bill from your provider.

You do not need to have it translated—UCCI will do this for you. If your claim is for

orthodontics or dental implants, be sure to include the non-availability statement provided

to you by the TRICARE Area Office-Europe Dental Office.

Where do you go with questions?

Visit or call your local Military Dental Treatment Facility to find out whether it

normally has space available to treat military family members.

If you or your dental provider have questions about enrollment, claims or covered

benefits, call the UCCI Customer Service line using one of the AT&T toll-free access

operators listed under “Contact Us” at www.tricaredentalprogram.com. UCCI provides

native-speaking customer service specialists for many countries served by the TDP, and

will make every effort to address the special challenges faced by overseas beneficiaries.

To contact a dental representative in Europe or to get authorization for

orthodontics or dental implants, call 49-(0) 6302-67-6358 (DSN in Europe 496-6358).