Tricare question

Re: Tricare question

• Sammy0709 member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  I would call Tricare to ask. I think I was automatically enrolled in Prime. At least I don't remember DH specifying anything when we went to the Tricare office. We did that separate from going to DEERS though. Yeah that's not very helpful I'm sure. As far as finding info I got to the website. I honestly find it pretty helpful. DH is medical so I don't usually have to go looking for amswers on my own though. If you have something more specific I can try to help. There used to be a woman on here who once worked for Tricare but I haven't seen her in a while.

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• LetsHikeToday member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  Would you suggest prime or standard?
  
  I just got a text from H saying we have Prime.

  

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• shan87

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  Hey girl, I was automatically enrolled in standard (because its the free option). But I think it depends on the person entering you into the system. I had no idea what to do either, H didn't even know there was different levels of coverage.
  
  Like I said I am on Standard and I have had no problems with seeing an OB/GYN or my Primary Care Physician. I paid $30 to see my OB/GYN for my annual exam which is covered with the plan, but mine was a little high from what they allow. Still waiting to see how much I pay on my Primary Care Physician visit. They have a very slick tool on triwest.com (the actual insurance company) that shows providers near you based on your zip code.
  
  "TRICARE Prime offers fewer out-of-pocket costs than TRICARE Standard and Extra, but less freedom of choice for providers as you must select a provider from the network. So, you should look at your options closely." from tricare.com website.
  
  "TRICARE Standard and Extra may be the right choice for you if you have a provider who is not in the TRICARE network and you don't want to change providers. Or, if you live in an area where TRICARE Prime is not available, TRICARE Standard and Extra may be your only option."
  
  What I did first was call the 800 number on triwest and enrolled/activated my coverage. All you need to know is your Hs SSN which is on your Mil ID and his Bday.
  
  
  Let me know if you have any other questions.

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• Babbygirl1

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  If you are not close to a base 30 miles is the usual guide line I recomend Prime that is what we always have it gives you so many more options. Call tricare and ask for a list of doctors that except tricare than you chouse who you would like to see if they have not already assigned you a dr.

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• LetsHikeToday member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  I like the idea of having more choices and it seems like Standard is the way to go for that.
  
  I was looking at  the military nesties board and they had a hard time getting Ob/GYN care with prime. We are trying to get pregnant so that is where my worry comes into play.
  
  Can I go on standard if H is still on prime?

  

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• shan87

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_tricare-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:13Discussion:53f42b72-cdd6-4e82-9937-a2fe13802244Post:1a640631-b1b7-40db-a00a-a85c3717d6e7">Re: Tricare question</a>:
  [QUOTE]I like the idea of having more choices and it seems like Standard is the way to go for that. I was looking at  the military nesties board and they had a hard time getting Ob/GYN care with prime. We are trying to get pregnant so that is where my worry comes into play. Can I go on standard if H is still on prime?
  Posted by LetsHikeToday[/QUOTE]
  
  
  Yep. All AD have to be on Prime (from my understanding). You do not. :)

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• LetsHikeToday member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  Excellent. Maybe I'll call this week and look into it.
  
  Thanks for your help :-)
  
  I feel like now being a dependent is super overwhelming.

  

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• LuluP82 member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  From what I understand, and from what was explained to me, the servicemember is automatically on Prime-- they don't have a choice. You automatically get put on Standard once you register for DEERS-- if you want Prime, then you have to register for that separately with TriCare. Prime has fewer OOP costs and you can use the on-base medical services. With Standard, it works more like traditional insurance with copays and such, and you can't use the on-base services unless they have space (not sure why you'd want to, but I suppose it depends on where you live).
  
  We did Prime because we live far enough away from base to where I could pick an off-base PCM and because I still have my secondary insurance that we pay for for both of us, and we didn't want to pay extra. Now that I'm pregnant, I seriously considered switching to standard because Tricare did not approve me for off-base OB care. I didn't have a hard time getting OB care-- I am at the clinic on base-- but I didn't get to pick my OB. (We live in a fairly remote area with few other medical choices, and my insurance doesn't offer us a ton of options where we live right now, either).
  
  Before switching to Standard, I decided to go and try the on-base OB, and I haven't had any issues at all. At first,I had a couple of issues with the appointment-makers, but once I got those resolved by insisting I speak with a nurse, everything has been wonderful. In fact, they say they see you every 6 weeks at first, and I've gotten seen every 3 or so, had all my questions answered, etc. So I wouldn't worry about OB care right now. You can also switch to standard when you get pregnant-- it's not a problem to switch, it might be hard to switch back depending on your H's rank, though.
  
  I'd call tricare-- not your H since dependent care is different from servicemember care. After speaking with tircare a few times, I've (almost) figured it out.
  
  ETA-- I hear a lot of people complaining about OB care on base, and I promise, it hasn't been bad for me at all. A lot of the complaints people have online are the same complaints that my purely civilian friends have, and that I'd likely have with my own (incredibly good) civilian insurance as well. If you have a doctor you love and don't want to switch, that's one thing. But I've had great care-- both OB and otherwise-- from mil doctors.

  

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• LOLways

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  As far as on base OB care, it allll depends on what base you're at. Every base is different. The feedback I have from folks at Eglin is good, and lemme tell you, it is hardcore BABY SEASON right now.

  
  

  Some bases are sweet and have no on base OB care, so they farm you out (I think). My friend's W at Hill had her baby off base and it was great. Some of that may have had to do with the fact that folks near SLC have lots of babies.

  
  

  Aaaaaaaaaanyway, since your H is a recruiter, are you within 50 mi of a base? If not, then I think you can do Tricare Remote.... not sure if that is just a servicemember thing, or what. I think I get Tricare Remote when I move to my next duty station, which is not a base. I am AD, not a dependent, though.

  
  

  FWIW, though, I'd try to get OB care off-base. After hearing my TSgt's woes about contracting MRSA after her 3rd c-section at a mil hospital, I think I may have to get out of the military before getting prego and having kids. Squick.

  

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• sofiabrian

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks for the question and glad I'm not the only one who feels a bit overwhelmed! I also just enrolled in DEERS. I have standard, but would like to be able to select my own doctor. They assigned me one near our home (we live off base). I haven't gone to the dr yet, but have my annual exam in October. New GYN, and that is a doctor-patient relationship I want to feel comfortable with.

  

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• SamiJoeB

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  Sofia-You can pick a new doctor if you're not pleased with the one they gave you. Call your tricare regional office and have them walk you through it.
  
  I have Prime, and I'm not near any base but I still got to pick my doctor.  I have no co-pay, and usually my meds are really cheap (except my nose spray for my allergies and it's still only like $28). Call your region (Health Net just like me!) and ask them to switch you to Prime (It's $20 per month taken from your H's pay check, it'll show in his LES). You'll get a new card and all that jazz. I've found when you call, they are always super helpful and friendly.  Even when I had to go to the ER in NC, before I had moved here, they told me everything I would need to do to be treated in NC and it was mostly all covered ($13.00 went on my cap).  Also, keep in mind that you have to sign up for dental separately and for vision, as long as you see a provider who accepts tricare you don't need a referral. HTH!!
  

  

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• LetsHikeToday member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  Thanks for all of the information. I'm going to call and learn a little more about it. When I signed up for my health insurance through my school, they gave me tons of information. I didn't get anything at DEERS and felt SUPER overwhelmed.
  
  Thanks for the help :-)

  

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• LuluP82 member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  With the OB stuff, I think it just depends where you are, for sure, and also how you act. They're so used (warning-- super stereotype here) to dealing with young girls who don't even want to be pregnant really and don't know what's going on, that when you go in having an idea of what to expect/what to do, they immediately treat you differently. I've had 2 different midwives, an u/s tech, and 3 nurses at the OB clinic on base tell me how refreshing it is to talk to me. I don't know if that's why, but I haven't had any issues. Also, they have most people deliver with midwives-- that makes me think the c-section rumors aren't necessarily all true. My H's CO told him his wife had 3 babies at the same OB clinic where we're going, and as long as you're firm, do your research, and ask questions, you won't have any problems with them forcing things on you.
  
  I'm just saying this because I was really, really disappointed when I found out I'd been assigned to the OB clinic on base, and I've been so pleasantly surprised. They're even flying in a maternal-fetal expert from Bethesda to talk to me about some concerns we have over an extra ultrasound in a few weeks-- I can't imagine a doctor out in town doing that at no cost to us.

  

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• LetsHikeToday member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_tricare-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:13Discussion:53f42b72-cdd6-4e82-9937-a2fe13802244Post:d13b059b-06ad-4a5a-bacf-29f8d66f02ce">Re: Tricare question</a>:
  [QUOTE]With the OB stuff, I think it just depends where you are, for sure, and also how you act. They're so used (warning-- super stereotype here) to dealing with young girls who don't even want to be pregnant really and don't know what's going on, that when you go in having an idea of what to expect/what to do, they immediately treat you differently. I've had 2 different midwives, an u/s tech, and 3 nurses at the OB clinic on base tell me how refreshing it is to talk to me. I don't know if that's why, but I haven't had any issues. Also, they have most people deliver with midwives-- that makes me think the c-section rumors aren't necessarily all true. My H's CO told him his wife had 3 babies at the same OB clinic where we're going, and as long as you're firm, do your research, and ask questions, you won't have any problems with them forcing things on you. I'm just saying this because I was really, really disappointed when I found out I'd been assigned to the OB clinic on base, and I've been so pleasantly surprised. They're even flying in a maternal-fetal expert from Bethesda to talk to me about some concerns we have over an extra ultrasound in a few weeks-- I can't imagine a doctor out in town doing that at no cost to us.
  Posted by LuluP82[/QUOTE]
  
  That makes me feel better. We will be on base when we move so I'm assuming that will be where I'm assigned.
  
  I know I'm not pregnant right now but we are trying and I'm on summer vacation so I don't have much else to think about.

  

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• LuluP82 member

  

  August 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_tricare-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:13Discussion:53f42b72-cdd6-4e82-9937-a2fe13802244Post:5cb1590d-06f8-4bb0-b285-20384f58c65a">Re: Tricare question</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Tricare question : That makes me feel better. We will be on base when we move so I'm assuming that will be where I'm assigned. I know I'm not pregnant right now but we are trying and I'm on summer vacation so I don't have much else to think about.
  Posted by LetsHikeToday[/QUOTE]
  
  Trust me, I understand :) We got lucky and only tried for a couple of months, but for those two months, that's all I thought about. And then for the first 8-9 weeks, I only thought about the baby. Now I"ll actually forget I'm pregnant for some stretches of time, which I'm sure will end as I start showing and such.
  
  If you have any questions about OB care and Tricare, feel free to contact me. I called them and yelled at about 8 different people before I figured it out :)

  

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