One of the points of confusion is this:
What’s the difference between ‘enrollment fee’ and ‘premiums’?
Does TriCare Prime for families with retirement cover the same things as TriCare for active duty? Are we supposed to be seen on the economy or on post?
My last Tricare Prime payment, 2 years ago before I hit 65 was about $70 a month for me and $70 for my wife. You will need to contact Tricare via internet site, since they closed down all of the offices in military hospitals where one could ask questions such as yours.
I chose to go with Tricare Prime, not Tricare for Life which is typically for retirees. My Tricare premium for the entire family is roughly $600 annually.
It is $5XX per year for both of you. Depending upon where you live you may be eligible for the US Fanily Health Plan that is offered by TRICARE. I use it here in the Puget Sound area and you really can’t beat the low co-pays.
http://www.tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans/USFHP.aspx
I have one child still on my TRICARE Prime and we pay about $90 per month. Also, there is really no difference between being retired and active except you will have a copay of $12 to see a doctor and a small copay, usually under $10 for prescriptions except for some special drugs.
I had both of my knees replaced last year, one in June and one in December. Each replacement cost $25, which is the maximum allowable charge to a TRICARE beneficiary.
I had to pay the copays for my pain meds and such but they came to under $20 each time I picked up a prescription and that was always for two or three meds at a time.
I also should point out that both my wife and I have had to have MRIs, X-rays, and CT Scans (me for my knees/back and a cancer scare for my wife) and have yet to pay a penny.
I’m a USAF retiree, if that is ok?
FACT: Family, Tricare Prime, $556.00 annual cost.
You can go plain Tricare—which is what every retiree gets, and doesn’t cost anything...
Or Tricare Prime, which covers much more, but costs $555 for the whole family. Still VERY cheap compared to others—you must live within 50 miles to a base, post, yard, fort or field.
Tricare for Life kicks in when the retiree turns 65.
The lower price is the answer for Tricare Prime (retired)
We ditched Tricare Prime and went Tricare Standard about 10 months after I retired because of the pain it was getting in to see our PCM and then obtaining referrals.
Now I have an Internist who will see me within a day or two. My wife sees her GYN when she wants, no referral required. My daughter, who is a competitive athlete, can see a physical therapist as needed, usually same day instead of going through the goat rope and not being seen by a PT for 2-3 weeks. Again, no referral required.
The down side is we have to pay 20%-30% copay, up to a catastrophic cap of $3,000 a year. For my family a supplement will run $1,800, so I rolled the dice and decided to just pay out of pocket and write it off on taxes.
I honestly wish I had taken a closer look at Tricare Standard before I retired, I would have had my family on it years ago.
This is obviously a YMMV decision.
Good luck!
“I’d really appreciate hearing it from the horse’s mouth. “
Neigh.
I retired in 2013. For myself, my wife and one daughter we pay right at $50 a month. We have copays now of usually $12. There are also occasional copays for certain tests. But once you reach the cap you’ll pay nothing the rest of the year.
My wife has a permanent prescription and it is quite inexpensive. Although now she will have to register to get them through the mail or else pay full price. Either that or we have to go to a military installation.
565.20 a year for prime family plan, just paid it a few weeks ago, $12 copay, $300 annual deductible $3000 annual catastrophic cap. If you choose to use the base for medical it’s free, unless you are referred off post. You can also continue your dental for less than $40 a month. My wife’s yearly OBGYN checkups are completely free off post.
The latest change having the most impact is the distance from the nearest military treatment facility which decides what Tricare program you can use.
If you can use an MTF, they fill up their quotas for providers about this time of year—if there aren’t enough slots, you have to go to a civilian provider which will cost you a copayment for every visit.
I’m pleased with the care and coverage—never had to wait more than a day for an appointment or referral. All good. Being able to have prescriptions filled on base is also savings to you.
Thank you for your family’s service to the country.