Dental and vision plans are being dropped by Tricare this year, but eligible military families and retirees can get full coverage for 2019 through the federal government’s existing plan as long as they enroll by the Dec. 10 deadline.

With the Defense Health Agency’s Tricare Retiree Dental Program coming to an end on Dec. 31, enrollees in that plan, and those enrolled in a Tricare health plan, will be able to transition to full dental and vision insurance coverage during federal benefits open season Nov. 12–Dec. 10. The Office of Personnel Management will begin offering the coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, known as FEDVIP. This includes military families and retirees, who can enroll for dental or vision coverage or both. For the first time, many active-duty military families may enroll in FEDVIP for vision coverage.

Enrollment in the new plan, which begins Jan. 1, is not automatic. Military families and retirees will have to enroll in FEDVIP. The plan will offer a choice of 10 dental insurance carriers and four vision carriers.

To help with preparation and learn more about FEDVIP, potential enrollees are encouraged to visit https://tricare.benefeds.com for more details on federal benefits open-season enrollment, and to get questions answered about the plans. Those who register on the FEDVIP site will receive alerts about key dates and updates as they become available.