Would you prefer to keep TRICARE, or take more pay and puchase private healthcare?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 11:54:56 -0500

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2013 2:26 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 14:26:44 -0500

Excellent question!!<br><br>A few years ago, I would have taken the money and gone private sector. Now with the new healthcare law and all the insurance problems people are having, I think I'd stick with Tri-Care.<br>

Response by LTC Jason Bartlett made Nov 21 at 2013 5:18 PM

LTC Jason Bartlett — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 17:18:04 -0500

I prefer to stick with Tri-Care.<div><br></div>

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2013 6:02 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 18:02:56 -0500

I say keep TRICARE, their rates are not that bad comparing to some other providers. My Employer wants to take out $80 a week for a family rate compared to TRICARE at around $200 a month.

Response by CPT Daniel Walk, M.B.A. made Nov 22 at 2013 1:53 PM

CPT Daniel Walk, M.B.A. — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 13:53:05 -0500

Tricare. There is too much uncertainty for us (military and families) the way it is. The last thing we need is to face the ridiculosness that is happening in the civilian world. What a mess...

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Nov 22 at 2013 7:56 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 19:56:18 -0500

Tricare...my family and I never have to worry about getting treated or not treated by a doctor based on our coverage.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2013 8:52 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 20:52:51 -0500

My Family and I keep TRICARE as our insurance. Even do sometime my Family has a rough time with the services.

Response by Lt Col Luis A. Rojas made Nov 23 at 2013 10:49 PM

Lt Col Luis A. Rojas — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 22:49:15 -0500

Definitely prefer TRICARE...the whole civilian health care system is a mess.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2013 10:51 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 22:51:59 -0500

TRICARE hands down! It is one less thing I have to think about and I don't have to worry about TRICARE getting cancelled like any other plan (knock on wood!). Plus I don't have to go thru the hassle of trying to get coverage thru healthcare.gov.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2013 10:56 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 22:56:38 -0500

Tricare is not bad for the bottom of line and mid range care. They however do not care for anything NEW. I had a friend in my last unit who had a child who had a disease that was super rare and fairly new for the most part. Tricare would not cover the medication, the test to prove she had the disease, or even most of the care this child received. When the SM contacted Tricare about it, United Health Care said it is not covered in their policy.

My wife also works for United health Care (the company who now holds the contract for Tricare) and they even said themselves that Tricare is NOT insurance, but an entitlement. Quite honestly I do not know what the difference is.

Response by PO3 Matt Schmidt made Nov 23 at 2013 11:13 PM

PO3 Matt Schmidt — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 23:13:52 -0500

Having been out for a few years, I really miss Tri-Care--however, the best aspect of military healthcare is that you were expected to keep yourself up-to-date on all medical check-ups.  In the private sector, taking time off from work to go to medical appointments feels frowned upon....

Response by SFC James Baber made Nov 23 at 2013 11:33 PM

SFC James Baber — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 23:33:36 -0500

As much as everyone, active and retired complain about Tricare, and there is plenty of things screwed up to complain about it, the number one positive is that it is still cheaper than anything else out there on the market or with an other employer health coverage.

Response by SFC James Baber made Nov 23 at 2013 11:35 PM

SFC James Baber — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 23:35:28 -0500

My wife is a RN and her hospital charges their employees almost 5-6x what we pay for our whole family for one person. And what is even worse, they don't even get a discount if they receive treatment there, even if it one the job injury. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, for employer loyalty to their employees.

Response by SFC James Baber made Nov 23 at 2013 11:41 PM

SFC James Baber — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 23:41:00 -0500

Although I would relish the return of Champus, unlike Tricare where you have to call for authorization even with emergencies when you are away from home, the old Champus the military had before 1996 was the bomb. I could be traveling cross country on leave, not feeling up to par, stop into any local doctors office show my military id card, and not have a thing to worry about, no bills, no co-pays, no pharmacy issues, all prescriptions filled at any pharmacy anywhere. But Tricare is almost as good in the long run.

Response by MAJ Laurie H. made Nov 24 at 2013 7:29 AM

MAJ Laurie H. — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 07:29:35 -0500

I much prefer TRICARE. It's cheaper than the insurance any civlian employer will offer, and in most cases the coverage is just as good. In some unique circumstances TRCIARE, however, just wouldn't cut it - rare diseases, new medications - but for my purposes it works for now. <div><br></div><div>I've also never found a provider that didn't take TRICARE. I say the word and I'm welcomed. This wasn't always the case when I had 'the best' private insurance. </div>

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2013 2:54 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 14:54:48 -0500

I currently work for a Fortune 1000 company, and I kept Tricare Reserve Select. The Company insurance was cheaper per month, but the family deductible was 4Xs the TRS deductible.

Response by SGM Ed Mounts made Nov 25 at 2013 12:07 PM

SGM Ed Mounts — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:07:44 -0500

Being retired I will tell you there is a huge benefit to keeping tri care vs other medical coverage, The other coverages often times are 5 times greater than the cost of Tri care and cover less. The big question is how we keep these benefits for our Soldiers still serving, the govt keeps trying to cut retirement benefits and it is up to us to speak out.

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 25 at 2013 12:20 PM

CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 12:20:41 -0500

I am clueless on healthcare, so I will stay with Tricare.

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made Apr 30 at 2014 12:47 PM

SSgt Gregory Guina — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 12:47:57 -0400

Tricare 100%. My brother is in business for himself thus he must purchase his own healthcare. He currnetly pays over $900 a month for him his wife and two young daughters. I have a wife and four children. My daughter spent four months in the NICU after she was born and when we got the statemnt of benefits from Tricare the hospital stay alone was more then 2 million dollars. This did not include the multiple surgeries or any of the specialty doctors that billed independently. Overall in her 2 and a half years she has racked up more than 3.5 million dollars worth care. This amount would have been over most scopes of any private inusrance that I would have had.

Response by PO3 Candace Gracik made May 6 at 2014 10:20 PM

PO3 Candace Gracik — Tue, 06 May 2014 22:20:39 -0400

I would keep Tricare!! There are too many issues with finding your own health care coverage for you personally and then for your family. It will be hard to find an adequate coverage especially in an emergency situation concerning your dependents.

Response by TSgt Kevin Buccola made Jul 22 at 2014 11:10 AM

TSgt Kevin Buccola — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:10:38 -0400

Prefer to keep Tricare Prime -- Private health would cost way too much for the amount of pay received by retirees. Medicaid and Medicare are not viable options either.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2014 6:22 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:22:50 -0400

I would rather take a bump in pay equivalent to the average per capita cost of "Try and Care" to the DoD. And then I'd fork over the remainder out of pocket to afford solid private health insurance. Tricare is not customer-oriented, they happily ignore complaints, and don't cover anything my wife needs. Occasionally they even say they'll cover something but change their mind when it's too late and send us the bill, which ultimately goes to collections because again, they ignore complaints and don't want to resolve anything. Tricare is also split into regional zones that apparently don't talk to each other and act like different insurance companies altogether. If this is what a single-payer healthcare system looks like, I guess these people fighting tooth and nail to prevent it on the national level are actually on to something here.