Richard Burr: “I rise today to introduce bill that would give our veterans, surviving spouses, and certain dependent children the…”

“I rise today to introduce bill that would give our veterans, surviving spouses, and certain dependent children the option to buy dental insurance coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs. My bill is based on a very successful program that has been in place since 1998 for military retirees and their families. Under the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program, TRDP, military retirees are given the option to purchase dental coverage under a contract managed by the Department of Defense. Since the program started, over one million eligible participants have chosen to buy dental coverage through this plan, including over 56,000 in my home state of North Carolina. Those individuals have access to a network of about 112,000 dental plan providers across the nation. Premiums range from $14 to $48 per month per person, depending on the region and type of dental plan selected. With this kind of success, it seems only fitting that we offer the same kind of benefit to our veterans.”