Posted on Apr 27, 2016
Many Tricare Users to Pay Enrollment Fee under Congressional Proposal
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Many Tricare users would face annual enrollment fees in a newly named plan under a draft proposal released Monday by the House Armed Services Committee.
Under the plan, current users of Tricare Standard and Tricare Extra would fall into the newly minted Tricare Preferred plan. Users would continue to be permitted to self-refer to providers, but doing so would come with an annual enrollment fee of $100 for individuals and $200 for families starting in 2020.
New Tricare users would pay even greater fees. Active-duty family members would pay $300 for an individual or $600 for families to enroll each year, while future retirees who joined the service after 2020 would pay $425 for an individual or $850 for families.
New beneficiaries who want to use Prime can do so, but also at a cost. Active-duty families would pay $180 for an individual or $360 for a family, while retirees would pay $325 for an individual or $650 for a family. Current users would not pay to use Prime.
Under the new Preferred option, users would have no annual deductible, but would pay set fees out of pocket. For example, emergency room visits would cost $40 in network for active-duty families, and $60 for retirees. The catastrophic yearly cap would be at $1,000 for active-duty families and $3,000 for retirees.
For Prime users, no annual deductibles would apply unless users chose to receive care without a referral. In that case, they would face a $300 for individuals or $600 for families deductible, with the same catastrophic cap as Preferred users. Other services, such as emergency room use, would continue to be free.
Under the plan, current users of Tricare Standard and Tricare Extra would fall into the newly minted Tricare Preferred plan. Users would continue to be permitted to self-refer to providers, but doing so would come with an annual enrollment fee of $100 for individuals and $200 for families starting in 2020.
New Tricare users would pay even greater fees. Active-duty family members would pay $300 for an individual or $600 for families to enroll each year, while future retirees who joined the service after 2020 would pay $425 for an individual or $850 for families.
New beneficiaries who want to use Prime can do so, but also at a cost. Active-duty families would pay $180 for an individual or $360 for a family, while retirees would pay $325 for an individual or $650 for a family. Current users would not pay to use Prime.
Under the new Preferred option, users would have no annual deductible, but would pay set fees out of pocket. For example, emergency room visits would cost $40 in network for active-duty families, and $60 for retirees. The catastrophic yearly cap would be at $1,000 for active-duty families and $3,000 for retirees.
For Prime users, no annual deductibles would apply unless users chose to receive care without a referral. In that case, they would face a $300 for individuals or $600 for families deductible, with the same catastrophic cap as Preferred users. Other services, such as emergency room use, would continue to be free.
Many Tricare Users to Pay Enrollment Fee under Congressional Proposal
Posted from military.com
Retirement
Healthcare
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas CPT (Join to see) TSgt Hunter Logan SGT Brian Carr
Back in the 70s, We were Lead to believe from various people especially our recruiters that if you completed 20 years of faithful service. You would receive free medical for your life.
Well we know they changed the process kind of like Clinton deciding to tax payers into social security benefits which were taken automatically out of military pay. civilian gov't employees paid no SS taxes
So it should really comes as no surprise that the government is going to stick it to the military family.
Back in the 70s, We were Lead to believe from various people especially our recruiters that if you completed 20 years of faithful service. You would receive free medical for your life.
Well we know they changed the process kind of like Clinton deciding to tax payers into social security benefits which were taken automatically out of military pay. civilian gov't employees paid no SS taxes
So it should really comes as no surprise that the government is going to stick it to the military family.
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SSgt (Join to see)
It gets more costly. If they were covering the costs of cancer, etc but the problem as I see it, is this is more about premiums and less about afforfdable health care.
SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM
SSG Derrick L. Lewis MBA, C-HRM
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Thanks for sharing the news COL Mikel J. Burroughs. I was briefed on this last month at an Army Reserve pre-retirement orientation.
I concur with SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT response. Those of us who enlisted in the 1970s and I expect those who were commissioned then were given to understand that we would be covered for life through the military medical system. The expectation was that if we survived until retirement we would be able to have access to medical facilities of the armed Forces of the USA. We understood that active duty would have priority but that we would be seen and treated at no cost to ourselves.
If Congress is going to program $300 per active duty soldier and $600 for families , it would be very reasonable for Congress to bump up the salary of each single service member by $25 per month and each married service member by $50 per month so that the net change would be zero [assumes $300 and $600 annual fees are taken out pre-tax]. Hopefully the law would be modified so that nay future hikes in fees for service would be covered in a similar fashion.
I concur with SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT response. Those of us who enlisted in the 1970s and I expect those who were commissioned then were given to understand that we would be covered for life through the military medical system. The expectation was that if we survived until retirement we would be able to have access to medical facilities of the armed Forces of the USA. We understood that active duty would have priority but that we would be seen and treated at no cost to ourselves.
If Congress is going to program $300 per active duty soldier and $600 for families , it would be very reasonable for Congress to bump up the salary of each single service member by $25 per month and each married service member by $50 per month so that the net change would be zero [assumes $300 and $600 annual fees are taken out pre-tax]. Hopefully the law would be modified so that nay future hikes in fees for service would be covered in a similar fashion.
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