Free dental visit helps reservists remain deployment ready

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David D. Morton
  • 302nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  Reservists have another dental option available to them.

Under the Reserve Health Readiness Program's preventative dental care, Reservists can take advantage of a free dental exam and accompanying x-rays once a year.

The RHRP, formerly known as 'FEDS HEAL,' was designed to ensure health and dental standards for Reservists were maintained to meet necessary deployment requirements. The free dental option increases the chances a Reservist will be ready to meet their deployment requirement.

"RHRP is a last resort to fill the gap for those unable to afford a monthly premium," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Robert Heun, 302nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron dental service assistance chief.

A Reservist can take advantage of the program by calling the RHRP administrator, Logistics Health Incorporated. After completing a short questionnaire to determine eligibility, LHI will schedule a dental exam with a dentist within 50 miles of the Reservist's home or work place. The dentist will provide LHI the necessary information, which is then passed to the ASTS dental section and filed in the member's medical records.

"The exam is the same as what a Reservist would receive from an ASTS dentist during a physical," said Master Sgt. Patricia Davis-Moore, 302nd ASTS Dental Section non-commissioned officer in charge. "The member will receive an exam and x-rays, any other work needed is the member's responsibility."

If additional dental work is needed, the member has the option to choose the Department of Defense's sponsored TRICARE Dental Program. Members interested in more information on the Program can visit their Web site.

The consequences to members not meeting the dental requirements are significant as the member is placed in a Class 4 category.

"Class 4 category profile isn't good. That basically means a member has a non-existent dental record or overdue dental exam," said Colonel Heun. "Failure to have a current dental exam gives you an incomplete physical and initiates the no pay, no points policy."

To prevent an overage of Airmen from entering the Class 4 status, Maj. Gen. Martin Mazick, Air Force Reserve Command vice commander, mandated all AFRC wings to keep dental Class 4 statistics under 10 percent of their assigned personnel.

"We're still above the 10-percent threshold," said Colonel Heun. "If people don't act on it soon, they'll be subjected to no pay and no points."

In the past, dental problems have precluded some Reservists from being deployed and forced others to be discharged upon return from overseas duty assignments.

Last year, the Senate Armed Services Committee recognized the problem and proposed two changes to dental needs of military Reservists, revamping the dental plan to eliminate such occurrences from happening.

One proposed change asked for dental co-payments to be waived under the criteria of national crisis while another alteration to the RHRP program was to provide free dental care for Reserve members scheduled for deployment.

The result is an updated program helping Reservists meet their dental deployment requirements.

For more information on the RHRP Dental Plan or to locate the nearest primary care provider, call (800) 666-2833, or visit their Web site.

Stay with www.302aw.afrc.af.mil for the latest news and information.