Seeking guidance on Tricare vs ChampVa vs VA health care enrollment

raffkc

PEB Forum Regular Member
Registered Member
Hi there!

I go on retirement list in a couple of weeks, currently on terminal leave. They gave me a 80% DOD(PDRL) and 100% VA (T&P) rating and I am wondering what happens next as far as health care is concerned, I would like to know if i get to retain Tricare with out paying annual enrollment fee and deductibles or i seek health care from VA for free. If I am eligible for Tricare is it going to be Tricare Care Prime, select or Tricare for life? I live right next to a MTF and I would like to get care there so. I do not understand if i get to keep Tricare without paying these fees. I read that you should get Champva (for spouse) if you are skipping Tricare which i dont want to do. I have lot of question if someone can please explain me how things work I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
 
Hello,

TROCARE Health Plan Options

You and your family may enroll in one of these health plans (that are links to additional discussion):

  • TRICARE Prime <--- LINK (in Prime Service Areas Geographic areas in the U.S. where we offer TRICARE Prime. They ensure medical readiness of active duty by adding to the capability and capacity of military hospitals and clinics. Prime Service Areas were also built around the Base Realignment and Closure sites.)
  • TRICARE Select <---LINK
  • US Family Health Plan <---LINK (in specific U.S. locations)
  • TRICARE For Life <---LINK (with Medicare Part A & B coverage)
  • TRICARE Select Overseas <---LINK
Your coverage will begin on the date of your retirement. Click on the bold areas above for more info.

Also see: LINK to TRICARE INFO <----

CHAMPVA Eligibility

To be eligible for CHAMPVA, you cannot be eligible for TRICARE, and you must be in one of these categories:
  1. The spouse or child of a Veteran who has been rated permanently and totally disabled for a service-connected disability by a VA regional office.
  2. The surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who died from a VA-rated service-connected disability.
  3. The surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who was at the time death rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability.
  4. The surviving spouse or child of a military member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct (in most of these cases, these family members are eligible for TRICARE, not CHAMPVA).
See this for more info: LINK CHAMPVA<----

Ron
 
TFL is for people that are medicare eligible. So not TFL at this point.


So you choose TriCare select, TriCare prime, or none. You can get healthcare from the VA.

I
 
As a Chapter 61 retiree you do not pay the new enrollment fees for select if you want prime you can pay for that, I also recommend getting your meds from escprits because it is free, also free at the VA. I like to have my own personal doctor just in case I need to see someone immediately, the VA is much better at blood work and screenings.
 
As a Chapter 61 retiree you do not pay the new enrollment fees for select if you want prime you can pay for that, I also recommend getting your meds from escprits because it is free, also free at the VA. I like to have my own personal doctor just in case I need to see someone immediately, the VA is much better at blood work and screenings.
Thank you sir. Tricare select let's me continue treatment at mtf with out any fees I suppose. Thank you for introducing me to chapter 61.
 
Thank you sir. Tricare select let's me continue treatment at mtf with out any fees I suppose. Thank you for introducing me to chapter 61.
Does my spouse get care at VA as well ? (She never served in military) I am 100% P and T and DOD 80% PDRL.
 
Hello @raffkc ,

Use of MTF by retirees is dependent on availability of services (i.e., active duty first...as it should be).

Ref: MOAA - These Military Medical Facilities Will Stop Seeing Retirees, Families <---LINK
Here is a report from 12 months ago:

Active Duty Only

Facilities scheduled to limit patients to active duty servicemembers:

Alabama: Maxwell AFB outpatient facility; Redstone Arsenal outpatient facility.

California: Branch Health Clinic San Onofre

Connecticut: Naval Branch Health Clinic Groton (will continue to see active duty family members)

Delaware: Dover AFB outpatient facility

Florida: Army Health Clinic SOUTHCOM outpatient facility*; MacDill AFB outpatient facility; Patrick AFB outpatient facility

Georgia: Naval Branch Health Clinic Albany outpatient facility*; Robins AFB outpatient facility

Illinois: Rock Island Arsenal outpatient facility*

Louisiana: Barksdale AFB outpatient facility; Naval Branch Health Clinic Belle Chasse*

Maryland: Barquist Army Health Clinic outpatient facility (Fort Detrick)*; Branch Health Clinic Indian Head outpatient facility; Kirk Army Health Center outpatient facility (Aberdeen Proving Ground); Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River outpatient facility

Massachusetts: Hanscom AFB outpatient facility

Mississippi: Naval Branch Health Clinic Meridian outpatient facility*

New Hampshire: Naval Branch Health Clinic Portsmouth (clinic in Kittery, Maine)

New Jersey: Branch Health Clinic Colts Neck outpatient facility (NWS Earle); JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst outpatient facility

North Carolina: Joel Health Clinic outpatient facility and Robinson Health Clinic, both at Fort Bragg

Pennsylvania: Fillmore Army Health Clinic (New Cumberland) outpatient facility*

Rhode Island: Naval Health Clinic New England (Newport)

Tennessee: Naval Branch Health Clinic Mid-South outpatient facility

Texas: Dyess AFB outpatient facility; Goodfellow AFB outpatient facility; Branch Health Clinic Corpus Christi outpatient facility

Virginia: Kenner Army Health Clinic outpatient facility (Fort Lee); Naval Branch Health Clinic Dahlgren outpatient facility


Note: Facilities marked with an asterisk (*) may enroll active duty family members “as necessary to round out the physician panels and maintain readiness,” per the report.

Active Duty Only: In Process or In Place

Facilities already limiting patients to active duty servicemembers, or in the process of doing do, in realignments supported by the report:

California: Army Health Clinic Monterey

Colorado: Robinson-Carson outpatient clinic (Fort Carson)

Kansas: Farrelly Health Clinic (Fort Riley)

Texas: Charles Thomas Moore Health Clinic (Fort Hood)

Washington: Okubo Medical Home (JB Lewis-McChord)

Closures

Facilities set to close entirely, or already closed in decisions supported by the report:

California: Department of Behavioral Health, Fort Irwin; Naval Branch Health Clinic Rancho Bernardo.

Florida: MacDill Sabal Park Clinic (Brandon)

Georgia: Community Based Medical Home North Columbus (Fort Benning) outpatient facility

Texas: Fort Hood Medical Home (Building 36000, replaced with sleep center supporting Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center)

More Changes

Other facilities facing changes:

Hawaii: Tripler Army Medical Center “will be considered for recapitalization of the aging platform,” per the report, “with the final location and capability dependent on further analysis of Hawaii market capabilities and military demand.”

Kansas: The report supports Munson Army Health Clinic’s suspension of surgical capabilities and transition to an outpatient clinic at Fort Leavenworth.

Maryland: Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Clinic (Fort Meade) will transition from an ambulatory surgery center to an outpatient facility.

New Jersey: Naval Branch Health Clinic Lakehurst “will be scoped to Occupational Health, Industrial Hygiene, and Preventive Medicine only,” per the report.

North Carolina: The report supports Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune’s plan to become a Level II trauma center, to include 24-hour immediate coverage by general surgeons and a range of other capabilities.

South Carolina: Naval Hospital Beaufort to become an ambulatory surgery center and outpatient clinic with medical holding bed capability.

Virginia: JB Langley-Eustis: 633rd Medical Group-Langley to become an ambulatory surgery center and outpatient clinic. McDonald Army Health Clinic is transitioning from an ambulatory surgery center to an outpatient facility “with significant specialty services.”
---
Ron
 
I also need a recommendation. My father is disabled, and he is of retirement age.
I would like to know if there is any possibility of getting a discount on medical equipment. My father needs a new wheelchair because it’s become difficult for him to use an old wheelchair. I have compared prices on different sites and realized that everywhere medical equipment costs a lot of money. you can look here: Rotating Hospital Beds for Stand Assist
 
I would like to know if there is any possibility of getting a discount on medical equipment. My father needs a new wheelchair because it’s become difficult for him to use an old wheelchair. I have compared prices on different sites and realized that everywhere medical equipment costs a lot of money. you can look here: Rotating Hospital Beds for Stand Assist
Hello,

Is your father a veteran and if so, is he enrolled in VA health care?

What types of medical insurance does he have?

If he is not a veteran, most of the visitors here would probably have to use a search engine to find info related to the situation.


Ron
 
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