Posted on 06/25/2016 1:39:56 PM PDT by M.K. Borders
I am 59 years old and a traditional Army Guardsman with 21 years service. My retirement package is already prepared and sent in thru an excellent program run by the Indiana Guard for it's soon to be retired members. This was done last September. I officially enter the tender embrace of the VA in November.
My question: How good is TRICARE? Not just me but my dependents?
Because of the nightmare of Obamacare I lost my employer provided health insurance and have been running on a VERY unsatisfactory plan thru my wife's employer.
We would like to go 100% TRICARE in November but I'm suspicious of the sunshine briefings I got from the TRICARE rep.
Anyone with some real world insight would be greatly appreciated.
I’ve had no problems. We are on Tricare Prime. The one thing is never forget to get an authorization before you see anyone other than your primary care provider (& the ER).
It was bad (in the late 1990s), but they turned it around. Customer service is now very efficient.
later
Never had an issue with Tricare. They don’t pay the doctors very much, but they take good care of the servicemembers.
It is really a great value compared to just about every other plan. If I joined my plan at work, I’d be paying per month what I pay annually. It is so good, I don’t tell my colleagues how good it is (knowing how much they pay).
Of course, it was supposed to be FREE for life after retirement, but it is cheap enough that I’m not gonna complain.
Tricare is very good. Pays 75 percent of the bill. You will have to get a supplement to cover the rest until you (and your spouse) turn 65. Most military associations sell it... Amn Military Assn, NCOA, AFSA, take your pick. Upon turning 65 you must pick up medicare part B, but then
tricare picks up 100 percent of what medicare don’t pay. You do not need part D; however, the copay makes it almost mandatory that you use the DOD express scripts mail system for your prescriptions.
I concur with the other comments. And, I have a terrific doctor.
once you qualify for “tricare for life” it is good
I have had it for many years. Tricare Standard has worked very well for me. I use the doctors I choose—if they accept Tricare, and they always have. During the one year I used Prime, I found it not so good as I often had to travel all day meeting simple appointments that had to be “in network.” This meant driving 50 miles to a doctor I would not have chosen then being sent another 80 miles away to get to the approved lab.
Is Tricare for life more like Prime or Standard? This guy will need to know. I’ve been on both. Tricare Reserve Select was like standard and I liked it. Prime could be a hassle getting authorizations.
I use Tricare Standard because it provides me more freedoms and choices. Costs a little more but I don’t have to get referrals when I have a specific problem.
Works great for me and the wife.
TriCare for Life is what they put you on when you turn 65. Mr Lacey was switched when he turned 65. Basically Medicare is your primary and Tricare is the secondary. He was kicked out of the local Army hospital and had to find a doctor in town (easier said than done) but so far (and he’s healthy) it’s worked out okay.
I can’t tell you, my only experience is with a relative who had “tricare for life”.
Which was all covering, no worries, do everything coverage.
I am ignorant about other levels of coverage for tricare other than this specific one.
16 days in the hospital, 84K bill, medicare A and Tri Care F-L took care of it. Nice of Congress to take the same benefit us lifer troops get, and for doing????
Switched to Standard and love it. I can usually get a same day appointment with my internist. Minimal co-pay with a $3,000 cap.
If I had thought it through earlier I would have had my family in Standard years earlier. Google Tricare Standard on-line and you will see tons of people who love the program.
“once you qualify for “tricare for life” it is good.”
Two years ago, I got hit with a blood clot in the lung, I was taken, per my request, to Brooke Army Medical Center, and all I can say is I got MORE THAN EXCELLENT TREATMENT. Compassionate, and thorough, I can’t say enough good about Brooke Army Medical Center.
TriCare is far better than anything you’ll find on an Obamacare exchange, and most programs available in the private sector. As someone else noted, your annual deductible is roughly equal to what most people pay for coverage in a single month. I speak from personal experience; my son and daughter-in-law pay more than $500 a month for coverage for themselves—with a $5000 deductible.
A few notes about TriCare. First, the advice about getting a supplement is spot-on. In my own case, I have TriCare for Life and I’m a state employee, so my out-of-pocket expenses are minimal. My wife is also on the state plan and is covered by TriCare and Medicare, so she pays virtually nothing for healthcare. The supplement is a solid investment, and there are plenty of companies that offer excellent plans.
Second, if you’re retiring in an area away from military bases, do a spot check to see if doctors other than your GP take Tricare. My wife and I reside in an area that’s home to one of the largest military communities in the nation, so it’s difficult to find a doctor who isn’t enrolled in the program. But, in places where there isn’t a significant military population, you may discover that many doctors don’t participate due to low reimbursements and slow payments by the government.
We discovered this the hard way when my wife fell and broke her arm while visiting our son, who lives more than 100 miles from the nearest military base. She only had Tricare at that point and none of the local orthopedic specialists accepted the plan. Tricare suggested we pay everything up front and get reimbursed. My wife decided to tough it out and flew back home and saw an orthopedist in our area.
Also, as with any plan, there are coverage limitations. For example, Tricare pays nothing towards long-term care. If you don’t want to go the VA route (and can’t afford to pay out-of-pocket), consider federal long term care insurance, which you should qualify for. Many people took a pass when it was first introduced because better options were available. Now, a decade later, I’ve had financial advisers tell me it’s probably the best option for federal retirees. Ditto for the Survivor Benefit Program (SBP).
Thanks for your service and count your blessings—Tricare is far from perfect, but it’s better that the healthcare most Americans are now stuck with, thanks to Zero. But keep your eye on the prize; there are serious efforts afoot to push military retirees and dependents into Obamacare, to help prop up the system.
We were able to see a specialist at a military hospital with tricare for life, with some persistence, in a special case where it seemed like they were the best option
I have. Tricare Standard, the PPO version. I can see most specialists without a referral, but the costs are higher. I added a tricare supplement insurance which pays the approved cost portion that tricare doesn’t. I like not having to go to a primary provider to get a referral and I like being able to go to my choice of specialists.
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