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Tricare has worked well for us.
We were in New England and Martin's Point worked well.
The annual cost of Tricare is almost zero compared to what many others have to pay. At about $460/year you can't touch it unless you're a retired congressman or president.
It works well for us out west. It will work for us when we return to New England.
Out here there were few docs who took Tricare. Our PCP is an RNP, but she's fine. She refers out for the occasional specialist. Even if we had another primary policy, no way would we give up Tricare. It's one of the best reasons to go career military.
We live in Maryland. Tricare is fantastic. $3 perscriptions, $15 complete physical, and we get excellent care, with my VA clinic, and my wife's private doctor. It's the best fringe benefit we have.
We live in west central MN and have TriCare and all our wonderful doctors accept it-nice part also-no referrals necessary. Mail order scripts $3 to 9 for 90 day supply.
When my DH retired, we transferred from Prime to Standard Tricare. DH has all his care done at the VA so the kids and I use the Standard. The problem is that it's not 100% any more...so we are upgrading to Prime ASAP!
I have never understood the draw to be a part-timer.
One of my renter's is a part-timer, I have spoken with him many times about this. Even after eight years in the guard, he is still hesitant to go career active duty. I have advised him repeatedly to go active before he turns 35, retiring from active duty has much better benefits.
Even now our youngest son is in highschool. He has seen my example of retiring after a 20-year career. But the guard recruiters hit the highschool hard. and he has a large group of friends who have already joined the guard. So following his buddies, he has became enamoured by the part-timers.
I ask him, "okay so if you join the guard, what are you going to do for a living? $150 for a drill weekend will not support you."
Although I've only been on active duty, I've always believed that the Guard/Reserves are still a great way to go. You can serve our country in your own home area. Guard and Reserve units have a little more cohesiveness (IMHO) than active duty units becuase they have far less turnover than an active duty unit. And even as far back as when I was on active duty (1997) many Guard & Reserve folks have been doing misions that give them as much work as the active duty troops.
TriCare Prime since 11/95, no hassles, no pain, lotsa gain. Could do the VA routine (60% disabled), but why bother, VA Dallas is a good hour's drive on a good day. My pharmacist in Cleburne tells me every time I get a refill that I've got THE BEST policy he's every run across.
My husband retired in 2003, and we also chose to keep Prime. We also have a supplement through AUSA that handles all of our co-pays, so for about $1000 per year, we pay no out-of-pocket expenses as long as we follow the rules and get all authorizations.
I will say we recently moved closer to a MTF, and I will soon be trying to have our PCM (at least the kid's) changed to a private practice. Only problem is that not many of the area doctors accept Prime. My hope is that I will be able to get them to accept assignment. This installation is slated to gain about 5000 troops due to BRAC and there is no way the clinic will be able to handle everyone.
I'm a little rusty on this whole business. I don't think you can actually drop Tricare--you just shift to Standard, right? Anyway, I think it is such a good deal that why even try to drop it? One reason that Tricare has been important to me and the wife is that Medicare (we're over 65) doesn't cover you outside the US. If you go over 65 you get onto Tricare For Life and/or Tricare Overseas. Then, since Medicare doesn't cover you, the Tricare goes from its "secondary" position to "primary" payer.
Now, I have another question---Primary Care Providers in a lot of areas are refusing to take NEW Medicare patients. Has anybody run into this problem and/or cases where the Doctors won't take Tricare?
Thanks.
... Now, I have another question---Primary Care Providers in a lot of areas are refusing to take NEW Medicare patients. Has anybody run into this problem and/or cases where the Doctors won't take Tricare?
Thanks.
I'm a little rusty on this whole business. I don't think you can actually drop Tricare--you just shift to Standard, right? Anyway, I think it is such a good deal that why even try to drop it? One reason that Tricare has been important to me and the wife is that Medicare (we're over 65) doesn't cover you outside the US. If you go over 65 you get onto Tricare For Life and/or Tricare Overseas. Then, since Medicare doesn't cover you, the Tricare goes from its "secondary" position to "primary" payer.
Now, I have another question---Primary Care Providers in a lot of areas are refusing to take NEW Medicare patients. Has anybody run into this problem and/or cases where the Doctors won't take Tricare?
Thanks.
Don't pay your quarterly premium and they'll drop you. Pay your premium late and you'll be switched to regular Tricare.
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