Taking care of our nation’s military is a very important responsibility. Whether serving overseas or at home, military personnel and their dependents need reliable health insurance. TRICARE Health Insurance Company provides coverage for active duty military, retirees, survivors, National Guard and Reserve members, and military dependents. In some cases, coverage is extended to former spouses as well. Consider these facts before you decide if this is the best company for your insurance needs.
Military insurance is unique because it must cover individuals and their families no matter where they are in the world. Military health insurance must also be very flexible since many military families move often. TRICARE uses medical military members as well as civilians to provide the best coverage and provider options available.
Read through this TRICARE health insurance review, look at the reviews of TRICARE insurance left by policyholders at the bottom of the page, and then compare free health quotes from the top health insurance providers online.
TRICARE Availability
TRICARE is available on military bases as well as off base in some cases. In addition to medical coverage, dental, vision, prescriptions, and mental health coverage is available as well. TRICARE serves the over 9 million eligible members and works with 59 hospitals, 413 medical clinics, and 413 dental clinics worldwide.
TRICARE Eligibility
To be eligible, you must be one of the following: active duty service member, child of active duty service member, spouse of active duty service member, parent or parents in law of active duty service member, family of missing in action service member, foreign armed forces member, medal of honor recipients and their family members, National Guard or Reserves member and their families, retired military and families, survivors of war, unremarried former spouse, or a victim of abuse.
Eligibility is only lost when a member separates from active duty, a member becomes eligible for Medicare, children reach the predetermined age limit, a divorce takes place, a surviving or former spouse remarries, or you do not keep your information up to date. Apart from these circumstances, membership remains constant and current.
TRICARE Health Plans
The main focus of TRICARE is medical coverage. TRICARE covers almost any inpatient or outpatient service that is medically necessary as proven by a doctor. Many services, though covered, have limits, rules and exclusions. Therefore, it is a good idea to check if a service is covered before the service is performed. How much you pay out of pocket is dependent upon what plan you choose and the status of the military member.
In addition to medical, TRICARE also provides dental coverage for military families. Coverage for dental needs is different depending on your military status. If you live on or near a base, you will first go to a military dental treatment facility. If you need additional work that cannot be done at one of these facilities, then you will be referred to a TRICARE civilian dentist.
For active military this means a local dentist in the US or a TRICARE Global Remote Overseas dentist if stationed overseas. All other eligible members will be referred to the civilian plan that has been put in place for them. This system provides for dental virtually anywhere worldwide for military members and their families. Basic dental cleanings as well as fillings, root canals, and oral surgery are generally covered by the plan.
Vision coverage is also provided under this plan. This includes one yearly exam. Glasses and contacts are also covered only if they are needed to treat a disease or disorder of the eye. Glasses and contacts solely for the purpose of correcting vision are not covered. Any cleaning, repair, and adjusting of eyeglasses are not covered.
Prescription coverage is for eligible individuals under the age of 65. There are no variations in coverage. No matter what status makes you eligible, coverage is the same. To fill a prescription, members can use a military pharmacy, any retail TRICARE Pharmacy, qualified mail order pharmacies, or a non-network pharmacy if no other options apply. There are some limitations as to what medication can be shipped overseas.
TRICARE also provides coverage for mental health issues. Military life can be stressful so TRICARE has studied the most common mental health issues among military families and offers treatment and coverage for these issues. Covered conditions include anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress surrounding deployment, substance abuse, and suicide prevention.
Compare TRICARE Health Insurance Quotes!
TRICARE is just one of many options available to military members and their families. If you would like to compare your TRICARE health insurance quotes with other insurance providers, you can use the comparison tool on this page right now to compare what each company has to offer. Features like rates, quotes, deductibles, and co-pays can be compared side by side so you can see what coverage you will receive and at what cost. Start comparing health insurance providers online today!