What You Should Know About Your Dental Benefits When Enrolling for Open Season

Once a year, retired military and federal employees have a window during which they can enroll in or change their dental plan, known as open season. This year from November 11th to midnight December 9th ET. Changes you make at this time are locked in for one year, so to help clarify this process, we asked Paul Kingsbury, Director of Military Relations, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, to help us understand the most important details that you need to know.

Who is eligible?

Eligibility is one of the first questions people have about open season, and Kingsbury explained that all retired military members and their families are eligible to enroll in Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) FEP Dental, adding, “ Active and retired federal and USPS employees are also eligible, as are uniformed services groups such as surviving spouses and Medal of Honor recipients.” It’s best to check for a complete list of eligibility BENEFEDS.gov.

He also noted that age matters when considering the eligibility of family members. “When talking about eligible household members, it is important to note that this includes your spouse and dependents who are eligible until age 21 if they are not a student, or age 23 for students,” Kingsbury said.

What do retired military personnel need to know about open season?

There is a lot of information out there about the open season, and sometimes the sheer volume of details can be overwhelming, so we asked Kingsbury what retired military personnel need to know, and he noted, “Being able to sign up or change plans during the open season is a different experience than which we are used to on active duty because now we can take advantage of the flexibility and make changes each year to increase or decrease the level of coverage.”

He also said that those who left active duty but missed the initial selection period have nothing to worry about; they can also take advantage of the open enrollment window. “You may be able to get coverage during the open season, so be sure to write down your dates so you and your family don’t go without dental insurance until 2026,” Kingsbury said.

What should military retirees and their families consider when choosing a dental plan?

When asked about the specifics of a dental treatment plan, Kingsbury said that people always think about affordability, but it shouldn’t be the first thing you think about. He outlined three key features that anyone eligible should consider:

Visiting an in-network dentist can help you save on dental costs. Find out if your current dentist is in network, or search for network dentists or dental specialists in your area. For example, BCBS FEP Dental provides its members with access to a large nationwide network of more than half a million dentists and their affiliates.
Assess your family’s needs and consider which dental plan matches what you’ll need this year. For example, if you know your children will need braces or you have a history of needing services such as dental crowns, find a plan that will cover your family’s dental needs.
For routine dental needs, consider what preventive care is covered. For example, with BCBS FEP Dental, you get up to three free cleanings each year with the High Option or Standard Option plans.

Kingsbury said the decision-making process can be simplified by using tools such as AskBlue^CM Find a BCBS FEP Dental Plan And Find a dentist tool to find online dentists in your area. You can also find out the estimated cost of dental services in your area using BCBS FEP Dental Pricing Tool.

What should those on active duty know before preparing for retirement?

In terms of what changes military personnel should consider before retiring, Kingsbury said, “Make sure your final dental checkup is comprehensive; You will pass this information on to your new dentist as you enter civilian life.”

In addition to this final exam, he says you should also focus on administrative tasks such as “setting up your BENEFEDS account at BENEFEDS.gov.” BENEFEDS is a government-mandated benefits portal sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management that eligible members use to enroll in FEDVIP plans such as BCBS FEP Dental. FEDVIP is the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program and is a dental and vision benefits program offered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).”

It is also important to make sure you know the dates of your initial enlistment period after leaving the force. “You can enroll in a dental plan at BENEFEDS.gov as early as 31 days before your retirement date and up to 60 days after,” Kingsbury said. “If you enroll before your retirement date, coverage will begin on your retirement date. If you enroll within 60 days of retirement, coverage will begin on the first of the month after you enroll. If you miss this window, you will have to wait until the next annual open season enrollment period to obtain dental insurance.”

Finally, Kingsbury said, “It is important to understand that your dental expenses will become an expense now that you are retired. Consider premium and out-of-pocket expenses for any services and treatments you typically receive during the year or expect to receive in the future. Make sure you understand the full costs that need to be factored into your financial planning.” He also encouraged users to become familiar with dental insurance terms you may not be aware of, such as premiums, annual maximums, deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses and copays.

What about people who say, “I have Tricare, so me and my family are covered”?

“That’s not true,” Kingsbury said. “Your Tricare dental plan ends when you retire. So figure out where to get dental insurance so you can get dental care in retirement. FEDVIP is one option that military retirees have, but most military members don’t think about it enough because they haven’t had to make these special elections in the past. The transition from Tricare coverage to active duty requires service members to understand that the situation is changing and they need to make choices and take steps to enroll.”

What is the most rewarding part of your job as director of military relations for Blue Cross Blue Shield Association?

We asked Kingsbury about his transition to civilian life and he said, “I retired from the US Navy after 31 years, which was a big change. This job allows me to stay connected to the military community. This allows me to serve in a new and useful way.”

He also mentioned that given his current position, he could volunteer his time. “Through this role, I have the opportunity to make financial contributions and volunteer time to those in need in our community, especially our military spouses. Through the partnerships and relationships I have developed, as well as others our team has created, we have been able to contribute advocacy, education, and resources to groups seeking to reduce military unemployment, end food insecurity, and provide mental health support. challenges, and highlight and support the military caregiver community.”

To learn more about BCBS FEP Dental and how you can enroll for this open season, visit bcbsfepdental.com.

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