Active-duty military families will see minimal increases in their monthly premiums for the Tricare Dental Program, starting March 1, Tricare officials announced Thursday.
The costs for the voluntary dental program depend on the sponsor’s military status, as well as how many people are covered in the plan. Dentists are available in the United Concordia dental network in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Active-duty service members don’t pay for dental care, but the dental program offers coverage for their family members, as well as National Guard and Reserve members and their eligible family members.
The monthly premium for one family member of an active-duty service member in pay grades E-4 and below will increase by $0.14, up to $8.79 per month. For more than one family member, the monthly premium will increase by $0.37, up to $22.85.
For sponsors in pay grades E-5 and above, the monthly premium for one family member increases by $0.19, to $11.72. The monthly premium for more than one family member will increase by $0.49, to $30.47
The largest cost increase for the dental program comes for nonmobilized Individual Ready Reserve members buying coverage for themselves and family, increasing by $1.72 a month, to $105.48.
This coverage is separate from medical coverage, and requires separate enrollment. To enroll, the sponsor must have at least one year of military service remaining. The new premiums take effect automatically for those who are already enrolled.
The dental program is a pay-ahead program, meaning payments are for the next month of coverage. The new monthly rates take effect March 1, but families will see the change in their February bill. The rates are effective through February 2027.
Beneficiaries can find out more information about enrolling and payment options here.
In 2025, many military families saw decreases in their monthly Tricare dental premiums, with some active-duty families seeing their premiums drop by nearly one-third.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book “A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families.” She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
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