Military Vets - Tricare Experience

[Red Badger]

Army Reserve retiree here (with 15 years active / 15 reserve). Just turned 60 and retiring from mega-corp end of this month. I wont miss my present co insurance with ~ $400 monthly premiums and $3600 deductible.

During my last visit to my primary care doc, I mentioned my pending transition to Tricare. He was very complimentary and said they were among the best in dealing with patient care, what's covered, etc.

So, seeking feedback from other veterans here on your Tricare experience.

And - thank you very much for your service to your country.

 

[mickeyd]

Shhh...Not too loud. Medicare/Tricare is too darn good, but DW and I have earned it, so we are keeping it.

 

[braumeister]

I used Tricare Standard for over 20 years and had only a few very minor problems during that period. Then the transition to Medicare/TFL was seamless and even better.

During those Tricare Standard years, I also had Mediplus, which is the supplemental insurance offered by MOAA. I thought that was excellent, too.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Im a veteran so i might be called biased.I think the ones that need it, should get 5 star medical care. I also think the ones that come home with no arms or legs should get a 5,000 sq foot house for free. No taxes, and generous utility allowance, the works.. When i see an ad asking for charity for disabled vets i hit the roof. Why should they need charity, we owe them a great life after what they went thru. I could go on one of my incoherent rants now but i think i made my point.

 

[kitesurfer2]

I have Tricare but I have not used it. I carried my health insurance into retirement, so that is my primary. Tricare pays my wife's copay but will not pay mine (the one time I used it 3 years ago). I'm interested in this thread as I will turn 65 in april and I think things may change for me.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Have Tricare Prime and hands down, it's the best benefit I get from my years in the service. Absolutely no complaints about it...zero, nada. I could go into great detail about a spinal tumor my DW had but I will spare you the details...all I will say is that I am very, Very, VERY happy with how it was handled by Tricare (was able to use an out of network Doc). At times I actually feel a little guilty about the benefit.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Have Tricare Prime and hands down, it's the best benefit I get from my years in the service. Absolutely no complaints about it...zero, nada. I could go into great detail about a spinal tumor my DW had but I will spare you the details...all I will say is that I am very, Very, VERY happy with how it was handled by Tricare (was able to use an out of network Doc). At times I actually feel a little guilty about the benefit.

Dont feel guilty, you earned it. When i went to the cemetery on memorial day to visit my father and plant a flag, i saw a few other flags. Those buried sure wish they still had it .

 

[razztazz]

Have Tricare Prime and hands down, it's the best benefit I get from my years in the service. Absolutely no complaints about it...zero, nada. I could go into great detail about a spinal tumor my DW had but I will spare you the details...all I will say is that I am very, Very, VERY happy with how it was handled by Tricare (was able to use an out of network Doc). At times I actually feel a little guilty about the benefit.

I'll admit it's maybe a bit difficult for an honest person to not feel something approaching guilt given the way the rest of the system works for Our Fellow Americans. But at least we did have to actually do something in exchange for it.

Ask any rich guy who has done nothing except be born and he will tell you he has earned everything and is entitled to it. And even if he's more realistic about the nature of great wealth he still has no intention of giving up his ability to get the best medical attention out there. He'll keep that.

That assuages any of those "Hey I'm a pretty lucky bastard to have TriCare" feelings I get.

 

[RetiredGypsy]

I had Tricare Prime. I liked it enough I'm planning on getting back on it after an administrative snafu somehow removed me from the retired list.

The Tricare clinics off base were easy to get into, and there were no tests that couldn't be ordered because of insurance protocols. They worked great coordinating with at least the military hospitals and on base clinics.

And being able to have a spouse on it, and the incredibly low out of pocket expenses are well worth it too.

 

[btdt22]

I'm 70 and enrolled in Tricare for Life. I do not live near a military base and spouse sometimes has to travel across state lines to find providers that will accept Tricare. Almost everyone seems to accept Medicare making Tricare and Medicare a winning combination when you reach 65

 

[friar1610]

I used Tricare Standard for over 20 years and had only a few very minor problems during that period. Then the transition to Medicare/TFL was seamless and even better.

During those Tricare Standard years, I also had Mediplus, which is the supplemental insurance offered by MOAA. I thought that was excellent, too.

This is very similar to my experience. I did spend a few years as a pre-Medicare military retiree on my wife's employer's plan. For those years TRICARE was the secondary. I had a major surgery during that period and between the two coverages paid not a cent.

MEDICARE + TFL is better than I would have ever imagined!

 

[Nords]

Army Reserve retiree here (with 15 years active / 15 reserve). Just turned 60 and retiring from mega-corp end of this month. I wont miss my present co insurance with ~ $400 monthly premiums and $3600 deductible.

During my last visit to my primary care doc, I mentioned my pending transition to Tricare. He was very complimentary and said they were among the best in dealing with patient care, what's covered, etc.

We enjoy our local clinic on Tricare Prime, and the doctors do a good job, but the bureaucracy (the care contractor) does a terrible job.

We've had billing problems, paying problems, and random changing-your-PCM-in-our-database-without-your-permission problems.

 

[Rowdy]

I'm on Tricare Retired Reserve (TRR) while I wait for Tricare at age 60. I pay for this, however, it is quite affordable in comparison to other policies with the same level of coverage. TRR is basically Tricare Standard; has been a great policy, allowing visits to specialists without the requirement for insurance referrals. I would say it's the best insurance we've had of all our various civilian policies. So far no billing or other issues.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Speaking of Tricare, for those that have Prime...they have launched the urgent-care pilot program. Long story short, most members will be able to go to an urgent care clinic up to twice in a FY without having to get a referral from your PCM. Initially it was going to be for a smaller group, but they have greatly extended it. There has been quite a bit of negative news about Tricare lately, but this is definitely a GOOD change.

https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/SpecialPrograms/UrgentCarePilot

 

[Eagle43]

After retjring from the military I had Tricare prime which supplemented megacorp's primary insurance. Since 65 I have had TFL as a supplement to Medicare. Since a military installation is nearby I get free pharmacy drugs (usually). I have no complaints.