Health insurance and OCS

[bighuggies]

On the OCS contract, I noticed that candidates do not receive health benefits. I noticed on my health insurance policy (and every other health insurance policy) states that participation in a military service is not covered.

If a candidate were to get injured, would he/she get medical attention and be covered for possible surgery, extended treatment, or disability if the injury was that bad?

 

[PSno23]

I believe that while you are at OCS, you are covered under the Marine Corps health insurance plan. You're only under this while at OCS, so you don't get it while you're in school. I know that when I broke my foot at OCS, I didn't have to cover any medical bills until I saw my doctor at home. Also, you won't be under the health plan after you commission until you check into TBS. I know that when I broke my foot at OCS, I didn't have to cover any medical bills until I saw my doctor at home.

 

[Crowbar]

There was a thread on this a while back, I'll see if I can find it, about Notification of Eligibility. Basically if you are not active duty or NROTC scholarhip and get injured at OCS, you can get payment from the government to cover your medical bills until you are healed. I don't know that much about it, being active duty and all, but they tried to give it to me when I got hurt my first year at OCS. I just said "yeah, yeah, sure" and let what they said go in one ear and out the other because I was already covered by Tricare. So, let me look around, if I find it, I'll edit the link in here...

 

[PSno23]

I had NOE when I broke my foot. Only trouble was, there was so much paperwork and I had to wait forever to see if my doctor was covered under Tricare. When all was said and done and I was told I could possibly get an answer, my foot had been 100% for about 3 months and the bills had already been paid. By that point it wasn't even worth it.

 

[wildflyin69]

what happens in that time between OCS and TBS (for the OCC guys)? I know you don't get paid in between the end of OCS and TBS, but do you fall under military care since you have accepted your commission?

 

[KBayDog]

Health Insurance Issues

Not to sound like an arse, but for something as serious as health care, you need to consult your OSO and make sure you see it in writing. This forum is a great tool for gouge, but all we can offer is speculation. Policies change all the time, and it is not worth relying on scuttlebutt when you are dealing with your health.

That said, wildflyin69 and bighuggies pose excellent questions. If/when you both do find out the straight dope, please let us all know - I am sure there are more than a few future leaders whom this information would affect. (I was AD prior to, during, and after OCS, so I was covered by Tricare...)

 

[PSno23]

I know for a fact (or at least what I was told from my OSO several times) that between OCS and TBS, you will not fall under any military health coverage. I'm in a 7-month wait to go to TBS in November and I had to go ahead and buy some short-term medical insurance, just to be on the safe side. That said, since you are a commissioned officer, you can most likely hook up with USAA to get some good short term insurance. They had the best coverage that I could find and it was very easy to set up - literally just a 15 minute phone call! I didn't save any money on my car insurance though.

 

[USMCBebop]

I know for a fact (or at least what I was told from my OSO several times) that between OCS and TBS, you will not fall under any military health coverage.

For PLC maybe, but for OCC you're covered because you're on active duty already.

 

[PSno23]

True, because you check into TBS right after OCS graduation I believe. Plus the fact that for OCC, the wait time between OCS and TBS is a few weeks while for PLC its usually a few months.

 

[squeeze]

99.9% of the time, your parents health insurance will cover you so long as you are a full time student.... including summers. So, unless you don't have any kind of family health insurance, you should be alright.