I retired in March and was wondering if i need to enroll in tricare prime or just use VA as I have been

I have Tricare Standard and it works well for me. No sign up just show ID card to doctors office....I'm healthy so I don't get any drugs just a check up every once in while. I think it has a 150.00 deductable....

If you can afford it, I recommend Prime. I am single so I pay $230 a year. Yesterday I had 6 injections (outpatient surgery) in my lumbar spine to try to diagnose and treat chronic low back pain. Let's see - one specialist, one x-ray tech, one RN; pre-op and post-op care by RNs...Prime cost? $30. If you have health issues (I'm 80% disabled) and live more then 90 minutes from the VA hospital then TRICARE Prime is worth the money.

I don't have any health issues but wanted to be covered if something happens.I have been using the VA medical center in Miami just for yearly check ups and very satisfied with them.I just enrolled today and like you single and it's about $20.00 a month.Thanks for the Info.

quote:

Originally posted by 9291719:
I don't have any health issues but wanted to be covered if something happens.I have been using the VA medical center in Miami just for yearly check ups and very satisfied with them.I just enrolled today and like you single and it's about $20.00 a month.Thanks for the Info.

You might want to compare Prime to Standard. All my families Doctors only took Standard, which was our secondary insurance untill my wife swapped jobs and health insurance became too expensive through her work.

It might be cheaper to go with Standard if you are not going to the Doctors you won't have to pay anything. There is a deductable and copays if you use it though.

Quick question: I take Crestor and get it through the pharmacy at Costco. We have Tricare Standard as our secondary insurance and use my wife's as our primary. My most recent purchase was a 90 day supply and cost $66.00. Prior to this purchase, the cost was $27.00 for a 90 day supply. Has anyone else's cost of their meds gone up this drastically? Anyone know why this big change in price. Any answers are greatly appreciated.

pheenom, using your wife's insurance as the primary might be the reason. TriCare still has a cap of $9.00 for name-brand drugs.

You might also consider checking the formulary (the list of drugs covered/carried by the insurance company). Out of the blue, TriCare dropped Welbutrin. I didn't find out until I went to pick up a refill and had to pay full price. I called the Dr. and got the generic version, which is covered by TriCare.

Tricare's drug formulary has some drugs that are 2nd and 3rd Tier Drugs - which means they aren't critical to sustaining life. Since they are lower tiered drugs the co-pay is more ($22 @ month).

I agree some meds cost more. Nexium costs me 22.00 a month(non formulary), Celebrex runs 9.00 Still beter than nothing

Are you getting that Nexium through Express Scripts?

Wray...

I had standard. After a recent incident where I dislocated an elbow, I was interested in getting an x-ray.

I called the closest Military Treatment Facility and was told that I could only get an appointment if I was on Prime. They do allow you to hang out in the waiting room in case they get enough no-shows to slide you in.

I checked the Tricare website for a list of local providers. Most all that I called were Planned Parenthood clinics and weren't taking on elbows. After wasting a day on the phone, I finally gave up.

Johnny, you are looking better since your haircut

I have Tricare Prime.. Great here in Daytona Beach.. I guess it depends where you are.

Wray...

quote:

Originally posted by pheenom:
Quick question: I take Crestor and get it through the pharmacy at Costco. We have Tricare Standard as our secondary insurance and use my wife's as our primary. My most recent purchase was a 90 day supply and cost $66.00. Prior to this purchase, the cost was $27.00 for a 90 day supply. Has anyone else's cost of their meds gone up this drastically? Anyone know why this big change in price. Any answers are greatly appreciated.

We used to be in the same situation, using Standard as a secondary insurance. Make sure either your Doctor's office and your Pharmacy or you are billing all the co-pays to Tricare so you can meet the deductable, otherwise they will never pay anything.

quote:

If you can afford it, I recommend Prime. I am single so I pay $230 a year. Yesterday I had 6 injections (outpatient surgery) in my lumbar spine to try to diagnose and treat chronic low back pain. Let's see - one specialist, one x-ray tech, one RN; pre-op and post-op care by RNs...Prime cost? $30. If you have health issues (I'm 80% disabled) and live more then 90 minutes from the VA hospital then TRICARE Prime is worth the money.

Going out on a limb here, but was that an ER visit?? In Texas they charge 12 clams for any scheduled outpatient visit, but ER visits are 30. I don't know if it is the same nationwide, (I think it is), but make sure you quiz them. I dislocated my shoulder last summer and when my PCP sent me to the specialist, they asked for 30, I told them no, it should be 12 because I was referred by my provider, so she looked it up and said, "Oh, so it is, I am sorry, most are 30 dollars". (Although the nite it happened, I paid 30 at the ER...and fell in LOVE with Morphine!!)
So double check, boss, if you are on Prime, and were referred by your PCP for those inoculations, I think you over-paid your deductible.
And I agree, Prime is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have family, so where else can ya get this coverage for 460 a year!
Hope this helps.

Bob

Those at the Pentagon who would tell us all to "support our troops" are at it again with recomendations to Congress to increase TRICARE and other healthcare fees.

From the Military.com news section, this article by writer and Coast Guard Veteran, Tom Philpott:

Higher TRICARE Fees Endorsed

I'm not even going to go into those promises made by our recruiters and military career counselors back in 1970. If you want to know about promises made by the United States Government, just ask representatives of all the American Indian Tribes. Also ask the American Veterans of the Second World War who were promised free medical care for life if they served honorably for the duration of the war.

Mark, I thought I saw somewhere that those higher fees got shot down.. can't remember where I read it.. but if I come across it I'll let ya know...

Perhaps it was tied into one of those pay raise messages I have seen...

Wray...

The request to increase did get shot down - a few months ago. Now, for the third time, since there is no important election coming up during the next few months, the Administration is attempting, for the third time, to induce Congress into raising TRICARE fees, copays, and pharmacy costs.

There will come a day when the premium goes up for Prime as well as the deductable for Standard. However, this will still leave TRICARE as the cheapest insurance around. Why the increase? Because it's driven by the almighty $$. No, not Uncle Sams but the Doctors in the civilian sector. They are starting to pull out of the network due to the very low ammount that they get paid per procedure. This will greatly impact the more remote areas, some of which are already feeling the sting of no longer having a network available and retired members that were once prime are now forced onto standard. Bottom line, you pay in more and they will pay out more and providers will be happy and stay networked and continue to accept TRICARE. The rates don't go up and you can find out what it's like to pay for Blue Cross / Shield or drive to the nearest MTF and feel the joys of "Space A".

Why would George wanna do this to us? Isn't he a Vet? He might need Tricare or the VA one day...

quote:

Why would George wanna do this to us? Isn't he a Vet? He might need Tricare or the VA one day...

Gawd I wish that were true!