The Department of Defense provides excellent and affordable
health care for members of all U.S. Military branches. Before
the 1980's there were a couple of methods for health care
delivery. Military members received treatment at military
medical facilities, and retirees and family members received
free treatment (space available) at military medical facilities,
or could use a program known as CHAMPUS (Civilian Health and
Medical Program Uniformed Services) to receive government-subsidized
medical care from civilian providers. TRICARE is a health
care system with many options, which replaced the former plan.
TRICARE is somewhat complex but you need to understand the
system in order to get the best care for yourself and your
dependents.
TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for Active
Duty and Retired members of the uniformed services, their
families, and survivors. TRICARE brings together the health
care resources of the Army, Navy and Air Force and supplements
them with networks of civilian health care professionals to
provide better access and high quality service while maintaining
the capability to support military operations.
You have three TRICARE Health Care Options:
TRICARE Prime
- where Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) are the principal
source of health care.
TRICARE Extra
- a preferred provider option that saves money; and
TRICARE Standard
- a fee-for-service option (the old CHAMPUS program);
One of the most critical decisions you will need to make
is to decide which TRICARE option is right for you and your
family.
If you have other primary insurance, TRICARE Prime may not
be your best option. Health Benefits Advisors are available
at your local TRICARE Service Center (TSC) or Military Treatment
Facility to help you decide which option is best for you.
Eligibility
Those Eligible for TRICARE are:
Active duty members and their families;
Retirees and their families; and
Survivors of all uniformed services who are not eligible
for Medicare.
