FYI for those enrolled in Tricare Select.
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- Thread starter JTS11
- Start date
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
Looks like the old bait and switchFYI for those enrolled in Tricare Select.
I predict another court battle from the retiree associations.FYI for those enrolled in Tricare Select.
Years ago DOD and Congress tried to charge for basic retire Tricare and cancel Tricare for retires over 65 to save money. DOD said with Medicare, retirees over 65 didn't need Tricare and it cost too much to provide free medical to those under 65. The retiree associations went to war saying they were promised free military provided health care for life and the courts concurred. Tricare Standard and Tricare for Life were the results.
Now they are trying again.
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I had my family on Tricare Reserve Select for a couple years. I really liked it. Our regular docs all accepted Tricare. We made a couple ER visits in a year, and both times I opted to drive to WRNMMC Bethesda, which isn’t the closest ER to us. Both ER visits went great. Great care. Fast in the door. Zero cost, or if there was a cost I don’t recall seeing a bill come in the mail. And the added benefit that the visit for me (food slicer vs. finger) was “in the system” so made the NOSC Medical process 10x smoother.
My eyes always glazed over when a SELRES started talking about Reserve Select, so I'm asking this to understand better. Are you saying that with Reserve Select (vice Prime), you could still go to a MTF for emergent care? Seems like a good deal.
Do they play the same games with substituting generics when it's explicitly stated not to do that? My wife had that issue for a medication she needed for a while and the generic wasn't productive, but the name-brand was.
Also, do you have to do anything special for this? I can't remember. When I was active duty, they wouldn't let my wife do this, but wasn't sure if there's something specific you "say" to make them know, as I've heard others complain that the MTF will balk at doing this initially to retirees because they don't know any better.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
except that the MTF are pushing the retirees out.
No idea what the fine print is. I just showed up, told them who I was, told them my health plan, presented CAC, got care. If they sent a bill I didn’t see one. Neither of the two ER visits ended up being serious (no broken bones, no overnight stays, etc).
Once or twice, they didn't carry a prescription, but other than that we've not had any issues getting our scripts filled at the Navy Medical Center (or clinics). I cannot speak to generics vs. name brand....sorry. Additionally, in San Diego, my wife gets her refills by mail from Navy Medical. Definitely a time saver.
I use my employer health care insurance for my prescriptions and they get mailed to me. I was spending more money for gas than the cost of the copays when I filled them at the MTF. To say nothing of either having to wait an hour or come back later (more gas/time).
I guess I'm just confirming that it was "Select" and not "Prime" that you were on. I'm guessing being part of an "active" service helped with no bill (versus being in a Fleet Reserve status).
Tricare does mail as well, which is the majority of what my wife does. But there's still a co-pay. Driving to the base would be less than that, monetarily. But I'm sure the "vocal" cost would be more than that.
Confirmed. It was Tricare Reserve Select (not Prime), and I was not on active duty orders at the time. I was SELRES. Both times, I asked someone (a LTJG nurse and a contractor doc) explicitly about billing and checkout payments all that. They took down all my info and had all our medical paperwork. It was not a “dine & dash” situation.
Tricare won't do the mail if you have other insurance because by law, the other insurance is primary.
But the MTFs will fill them and charge (supposedly) your other insurance while using Tricare to cover the copays.
We don't have other insurance, just Select.
Heads up for any of you old curmudgeons under 65 on Tricare Select.
www.militarytimes.com
Don’t let your Tricare Select coverage lapse, officials warn retirees
Retirees have until Dec. 31 to set up their payment process for new Tricare Select enrollment fees.
www.militarytimes.com