FALLS CHURCH, Va. – As a new parent, you have a lot on your mind—but dental insurance for your baby might not be at the top of the list. Don’t worry! The TRICARE Dental Program has you and your baby covered.

“The TRICARE Dental Program helps military families by signing up kids at age 1,” said Douglas Elsesser, a program analyst with the Dental Program Section of the TRICARE Health Plan. “This makes sure children can get dental care early, when it matters most. Parents don't have to remember to enroll, so they can focus on other important things. It's a smart way to keep your family healthy and ready.”

Your child will join the TDP on the first day of the month after their first birthday. For example, if your child is born in August, they’ll join Sept. 1. As long as DEERS is up to date, your child will enroll in TDP automatically. You can even choose to sign your child up before they turn 1.

Automatic enrollment doesn’t apply to National Guard and Reserve members who only have coverage for themselves and are enrolled in a single plan. For everyone else, your child will join your plan when they turn 1, even if you forget to sign them up.

Adding your child to the TDP may change how much you pay each month. Your premium depends on how many family members are on the plan and your military status. If you had a single plan before, it’ll change to a family plan when your child joins. This means your monthly cost will go up.

Remember: As stated in the TRICARE Dental Program Handbook, you must add your child to DEERS for them to get TDP coverage. This is a separate step from the automatic TDP enrollment.

Having dental coverage for your child is important. With TDP’s automatic enrollment, you can focus on other parts of parenting without worrying about missing this crucial step. Your child’s dental health will be protected from an early age, setting them up for a lifetime of healthy smiles.

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