Tricare health insurance. Health care insurance is the most significant benefit of any active duty military member. The health care program developed by the US Department of Defense is called TRICARE.

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Tricare Health Insurance

        Health care insurance is the most significant benefit of any active duty military member. The health care program developed by the US Department of Defense is called TRICARE. Health care is provided to Sailors and their families as a benefit of being a member of the Armed Forces. DOD operates one of the nation’s largest health care systems. Nearly 8.3 million individuals are eligible to receive care at its many hospitals and clinics. These hospitals and clinics consistently receive high rankings by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, which examines both military and non-military medical facilities (All Hands Navy Magazine, 1997). It provides health care coverage for medical services, medications, and dental care for military families and retirees. From the name TRICARE, it is based on the three levels of coverage – TRICARE Prime, Standard, and Extra.

        All active duty service members, like myself, are eligible in TRICARE Prime. There is  an enrollment form that needs to be filled up and  has to be submitted to the appropriate regional contractor, but everything is free. There is no enrollment fee for the dependents of any active duty service member, but they still need to complete an enrollment form and must select Prime as the coverage plan. As of October 1, 2011 military retirees who choose to enroll in TRICARE Prime will be required to pay an increased annual enrollment fee of two hundred sixty dollars individually and five hundred twenty dollars for a family. With this coverage, most health care will come from a Military Treatment Facility like any Naval Hospital or Army Hospital, along with the TRICARE contracted Civilian Medical providers, also called the Preferred Provider Network. Within Medical Treatment Facilities, Tricare coverage will provide you with Primary Care Managers. They are the team of providers that will coordinate your care, maintain your health records, and refer you to a specialist if necessary, which will fall to another option, called Point of Service. This will allow the active duty military member and their dependents to freely seek and receive non-emergency health care services from any Preferred Provider Network without requesting a referral from their Primary Care Manager. The downside of this coverage include: limited choice providers, specialty care is by referral only, and it is not universally available.          

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        Another type of coverage is called TRICARE Standard. This coverage is not available to any active duty military service members. TRICARE Standard is very useful when military treatment facility is unavailable. Unlike TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Standard has the broadest choice of providers, it’s widely available, and you may also add or use TRICARE Extra. But there are few things to consider like there will be no Primary Care Manager to assist you, patients will have deductible and co-payment, beneficiaries may have to do their own paperwork plus file their own claims, and if the bill exceeds allowable charge while the ...

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