Tips to Help You Help Retirees

Beneficiary liaisons--Health Benefits Advisors, Transition Assistance Program personnel and other installation staff who regularly come in contact with Uniformed Services retirees--play an important role in informing the military community about the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) as well as in educating enrollees on how to better understand and use their program benefits. Here are a few tips that may help you assist retirees who are enrolled or considering enrollment in the TRDP:

• Make sure you always have enough TRDP materials on hand for distribution. Brochures, fact sheets, and other informational materials are available for ordering online or through your TRDP regional marketing representative.
• If you are having a pre-retirement briefing at your installation, let your TRDP regional marketing representative know. He or she will gladly give a brief yet informative presentation on this unique dental benefits program and will also provide attendees with enrollment materials and details about the special enrollment opportunity for new retirees.
• Be sure to have at least one or two copies of both the Enhanced and Basic Program Benefits Booklets available for reference. Although only the Enhanced Program booklet is applicable to retirees who enrolled in the TRDP after August 31, 2000, a large number of retirees still remain enrolled in the Basic Program since the TRDP initially began in 1998 and it is important that all enrollees understand the different benefits that apply to their particular program. Both booklets are available online.
• Another useful aid that is available online is the Enhanced-Overseas TRDP supplemental guide, specifically for TRDP enrollees who live overseas. Under the new Enhanced-Overseas Program, which extends Enhanced Program coverage to Uniformed Services retirees and their family members who live in areas outside the designated TRDP service area, these enrollees can now obtain all their TRDP benefits worldwide. Although the benefits of the Enhanced-Overseas Program are the same as those of the Enhanced Program, there are a few guidelines that apply specifically to the overseas program, and these are explained in detail in the online Enhanced-Overseas TRDP supplement.  
• Familiarize yourself with the rest of this web site. It contains a wealth of useful program information, such as a directory of participating dentists, regional premium rates for the Enhanced Program, and frequently asked questions. Interactive tools available online include an Enhanced Program enrollment application, an Online Customer Service Inquiry Form, and the Consumer Toolkit®. Besides the benefits booklets, enrollees can also download a TRDP claim form from this site.