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!
Thanks!
I called TriCare and she gave me two options for our particular situation. A lot of it will depend on where we settle when he does get out.
It’s good to know that you can write off medical expenses on your taxes. I didn’t know that.