TRICARE Changes

[ClearedHot]

An article in the Wall Street Journal this AM stating Sec gates is in favor of increasing Tricare premiums for retirees. I am sure the retired groups will be up in arms, but it seems to make sense to me. Enrollment fees have not changed since the program was founded in 1996 and the cost for a family would increase from $460 to $520 per year, that sounds more than fair and reasonable to me.

Another change is to encourage the use of the mail-order pharmacy, no co-pay for using the service, certainly a reasonable option for non-time critical medicines. The co-pay would increase $3 if you still want to use a local pharmacy. With all the other cuts backs and issues facing us I am curious how others feel.

[M2]

We were just discussing this yesterday (a group of retiree contractors), and most would have no problem with a reasonable increase such as being proposed. It is still a bargain as compared to what I’d be paying if I had health care through my company.

However, any greater increase would have to result in an improvement in the services received. Dealing with the military health care system as a retiree is a pain in the ass, we are going through that drill right now with my wife and some days I honestly would rather spend the extra money and go off-base than deal with such buffoonery!

Cheers! M2

[Guest]

I pay $3400/yr for my civilian healthcare and it covers vision and dental. I keep TRICARE Prime for $38/mo as a secondary insurance and between them all my costs for my family of 6 are handled.

I have seen some suggestions that TRICARE for retirees should go up to the $5-6k/yr range. I would have to see some real improvements in the system before I would buy off on that.

FWIW, TRICARE Standard is free to retirees. I only pay the $460/yr to upgrade to Prime.

[Doc]

I would suggest Standard/Extra are only "free" in the sense that there are no premiums to pay. There are still annual deductibles to meet and, after the deductibles are met, still a 20-25% cost share.

I've had better luck with Standard/Extra. Prime seems to get a little more problematic the further away from military towns you get (at least that's been my experience, ymmv).

[Guest Scooby]

Absolutely.

I would also make dependents pay into TRICARE but that's another few years / budget crises down the road.