The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) will be offered for the first time to military TRICARE eligible retirees and their families during the 2018 Federal Benefits Open Season. Active duty family members will be eligible to enroll in FEDVIP vision insurance.
“This will be the first year military families and retirees participate in the Federal Benefits Open Season, which runs November 12 through December 10, 2018,” said OPM’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Hunter Tuesday. “Many military retirees and their families currently use the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) which is ending on December 31, 2018. For 2019, most TRICARE retirees and their families can enroll in FEDVIP for dental coverage, vision coverage, or both. Also new for 2019–many active duty military families may enroll in FEDVIP vision coverage. Military families and retirees who enroll in FEDVIP this fall will be able to choose from ten dental carriers and four vision carriers, selecting the plan that best meets their family’s needs.”
How To Prepare Prior to Open Season
To prepare for open season, TRICARE eligibles can go to https://tricare.benefeds.com/ to conduct plan choice research. Federal civilians will continue to use their familiar Benefeds.com enrollment website. Plan options, benefits, and rates will be the same for both groups in 2019.
Dr. Hunter gave a list of important upcoming dates:
- Fall 2018: 2019 FEDVIP plan rates are available
- November 12–December 10, 2018: Federal Benefits Open Season
- December 31, 2018: TRICARE Retiree Dental Program ends
- January 1, 2019: 2019 FEDVIP plan year begins
The announcement affects 1.63 million beneficiaries enrolled in TRDP and offers a choice to an additional 1.3 million eligible retired beneficiaries not currently enrolled in TRDP. FEDVIP currently serves more than 3 million federal employees, retirees and their families.