Tricare 101

Before you continue with this thread, just know right here right now that this thread does not have everything in that there is to know about Tricare. It has most of the basic and frequently asked questions.

If you have any questions about Tricare that has not been answered in this thread, please feel free to ask us. I also strongly encourage you to contact your local HBA (health benefit adviser, they are usually in the NACC) for questions or to call Tricare directly. They are always willing to answer any questions you might have (they don't bite, I promise!).


Important numbers/websites:
Tricare West 1-888-TRIWEST
Tricare North 1-877-TRICARE
Tricare South 1-800-444-5445
Tricare Overseas 1-888-777-8343
United Concordia (dental) 1-800-866-8499 www.ucci.com
Delta Dental (retirees) 1-888-838-8737 www.trdp.org
Tricare Prime Remote 1-888-647-6676 mmso.med.navy.mil
Prime Travel Program www.tricare.osd.mil/primetravel
Tricare for life www.tricare.osd.mil/tfl
DEERS www.dmdc.osd.mil


Tricare Standard:
Tricare Standard is what all of us were automatically signed up for when we got married. Once we are on our spouse's Page 2 and we have our ID, that means they know who we are and we're covered. Under Standard service, you can see any doctor that accepts Tricare on a point-of-service basis. With Standard, there is a co-pay for all doctor vists, and there are some services that are not covered. Annual deductibles are Sponsor's rank is E-4 and below:Individual: $50, Family: $100; Sponsor's rank is E-5 and above: Individual: $150, Family: $300. Full list of Standard deductible costs

Tricare Prime:
As active duty spouses, we have the option to enroll in Tricare Prime. The short version is we don't have to pay for anything with Prime. Here's the hitch, you can't up and go any doctor when you want to. When you sign up, you pick a PCM (primary care manager, AKA your "main" doctor). When you need to see a specialist for something, you go to your PCM and they put in a refferral for you to see a specialist. Keep in mind that they might not always send you to one. It's not because they don't want to, but because sometimes Tricare feels that your PCM is capable to handle certain issues. Don't let this discourage you though, many PCM's are highly trained in a number of specialties. Not all though, but you do need to have faith in their abilities.

Prescriptions:
$3 generic
$9 name brand
Tricare Prime has the option to use NACC pharmacies to get Rx's for free. Tricare Standard does not have this option, they can use civilian pharmacies and pay the above fees
Note: the NACC does not carry all Rx's, many times you will have to get them out in town (just remember, our parents are probably paying a LOT more for their medications, so don't feel bad about $3)

Prime Pap Smears:
For those on Tricare Prime, you are allowd to visit a civilian OB/GYN annually for a pap smear with no refferral. It is every one year and a day (that means if you had a pap on March 1, you have your next one March 2 next year).

Vision:
For standard users, the costs vary. For prime, you do not have to pay anything for vision exams EXCEPT the contact lense portion of the exam. The exception to that rule is if your optometrist/opthomalogist determines you must wear contacts, Tricare will cover that cost. Like with a pap smear, you may have a vision exam every one year and a day. Tricare does not pay for contacts or glasses. There is an exception to that rule as well which you can find on the Tricare website here

Dental:
Dental is not totally free, but it's not expensive (generally they take about around $10-15 per month from your pay check for the coverage). You need to sign up for dental services seperately with United Concordia. They cover 2 cleanings a year and most xrays. Many other services are cost shared (example: fillings, we pay 20% they pay 80%). For more information on this, please visit the United Concordia website here



As said before, this is obviously not everything, just a basic rundown of some of the most common questions. I strongly encourage you to also obtain a copy of the Tricare user manuals as they can also answer many questions. The manual is also online at the Tricare Website