Housed under the U.S. Military Health System, TRICARE insurance combines military insurance resources with supplemental, civilian coverages offered by private insurance companies. TRICARE is open to active duty soldiers from the major military branches (including the National Guard and Reserve) as well as their families. It is also open to retirees, their families, and surviving family members.
Military Insurance for Active Duty Soldiers Via TRICARE
All active duty personnel are eligible to receive TRICARE insurance; active duty personnel in this regard are defined by the military as "the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)."
There are four TRICARE Prime options, which are determined by geographic location; all active duty personnel must enroll in one of the following military insurance options:
- TRICARE Prime – this managed care plan is available for active duty personnel (under 65) and their families who live in what is called a Prime Service Area, meaning they live within 50 miles or a 1 hour drive to either military medical facilities or network providers. TRICARE insurance of this kind, like most military insurance for active duty personnel, carry no out-of-pocket expenses for both service members and their families so long as they abide by primary care management guidelines. TRICARE Prime includes vision care.
- TRICARE Prime Remote – this managed care plan is nearly identical to TRICARE Prime, except that it is a version available to those who live in remote areas 50 miles or more from standard care facilities.
- TRICARE Prime Overseas – as the name indicates, this is a military insurance option for active duty soldiers and their families who are stationed overseas. Most care is given at the nearest military treatment facility, though local specialists may also be used if approved by one's primary care manager.
- TRICARE Global Remote Overseas – this military insurance option is different from the others in that the U.S. military has partnered with International SOS to help active military personnel in remote locations identify the best care facilities needed. Rather than dealing with a TRICARE insurance care manager, personnel access a call center for medical referrals.
While active duty personnel are required to enroll in one of the above TRICARE plans, family members under 65 may choose to either be covered by the appropriate TRICARE plan or by one of the additional plans detailed in the next section.
Military Insurance for Families of Active Duty Soldiers Via TRICARE
As with active duty personnel, family members who want to obtain military insurance through TRICARE must first register with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Once this is done, family members may choose for their military insurance either one of the Prime plans mentioned above or one of the following:
- TRICARE Standard and Extra – this plan, which is a fee-for-service option, gives family members the flexibility to seek care at military or private facilities using either network or non-network providers. Of course, out-of-pocket expenses increase for non-network care, as is standard for all fee-for-service insurance plans. This military insurance plan has an annual deductible and small percentages due for the cost of care.
- U.S. Family Health Plan – this unique option is an additional TRICARE Prime plan only available at six U.S. locations: Johns Hopkins Medical (serving D.C., MD, and parts of PA, VA, and WV); St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (serving NYC, NJ, parts of PA and CT); Martin's Point Health Care (serving ME, NH, VT and parts of NY); CHRISTUS Health (serving parts of TX and LA); Brighton Marine Health Center (serving MA, RI and parts of CT); and Pacific Medical Centers (serving coastal WA).
Family members and active duty personnel do not have to choose the same military insurance, so long as all members are eligible for the plan they choose.
Military Insurance for Retirees – Using Medicare and TRICARE Supplemental
Military retirees who are Original Medicare beneficiaries have access to TRICARE for Life—military insurance provided privately (through companies like Humana) which can supplement Medicare Parts A and B. Those who are covered by both Original Medicare and TRICARE insurance in some cases cannot and in most cases do not purchase additional Medicare supplemental coverage (including Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Part D).
For more detailed information on the content contained in this article, reference the military's TRICARE website, where the information for this article was gleaned.
David Harris-Gershon - David Harris-Gershon – a blogger for Tikkun magazine and a freelance writer on Israel, the Middle East and America’s role in ...
