TRICARE: Have Questions? Get Answers.

When you say the word TRICARE, a lot of emotions boil to the surface. Mostly confusion. The few times that it's been mentioned here at SpouseBUZZ is proof of that. To be fair, we haven't probed the topic adequately, but that's about to change because TRICARE is a huge issue for military families.

We are thrilled to have the ear of Army Major General Elder Granger, the Deputy Director of TRICARE Management Activity. On Thursday, February 7, General Granger will join us on SBTR for the full hour to discuss TRICARE, and to answer your questions. Also joining us will be Francine Forestell, Director of Customer Service. This is your chance to ask questions of the people who know TRICARE inside and out.

We anticipate this will be one of our more heavily attended shows, so we are asking that you submit questions before January 29. We'll ask as many questions as we can during the hour. You can leave your question in the comment section below, or, if you're more comfortable, click here to send an email with "TRICARE" in the subject line.

We're looking forward to speaking with Maj. Gen. Granger and Ms. Forestell next month.

Don't forget to mark February 7 on your calender. Come back and listen to the show so that you can hear the answer to your question. The show will air at 9:00 p.m. EST on February 7.

Comments

[Linda]

I have a question...I know that Tricare provides for "well baby" and "well child" coverage for children up to age six. How can we handle it if our MTF refuses to see children beyond the age of 2? My daughter missed out on a year of her well child appointment (she would have had her last one in January 07), and my son will be missing his 2nd one this year (he turns 4 and should be entitled to 2 more after this). I have no recourse with my MTF, they say they will not make this type of appointment. I have enough issues with my MTF that I am tempted to go "off site" for care and coverage, but don't like the idea of all the hoops that must be jumped through in order to get coverage. A friend of mine was told that she had to move to Tricare Standard in order to be able to get coverage "off site" (meaning off post, not MTF), even though the providers she uses ARE Tricare providers. This means a lot of deductibles.

How can I get my MTF to step up and give me what Tricare pays for? For the record, my husband and I are at Ft. Riley.

[Heather S.]

If my doctor will not bill tricare, can I submit my out of pocket costs to tricare? (My husband is an activated reservist and I live nowhere near a military intallation. I'm covered through Tri-West) if so, how?

[Heather S.]

Oh..also...does tricare coverage end the day that my hubby comes off of active duty or is there a "grace period" for the time between jobs?

[Tressa]

Linda,
I don't know what Tricare region you are in, but in the two regions that I have lived in I have not been seen at the the MTF. My children are seen "out in town" and we are Tricare prime. It is a common misconception that you have go Standard to be seen off site. I also don't pay co-pays.
Do your own research online and find physicians that take Tricare. Go to the Tricare office informed. I don't find that there are many hoops to jump through. I am careful to make sure that I have referrals, but Tricare has covered all of my son's health costs. Tricare has really been good to us. I can't imagine what we would do without such good coverage.

[MO]

Why can't Tricare follow us from duty station to duty station and just renew at the end of the year? If that is just not possible when will the offices be set up to make it not only easier on us but at least some what nicer/comfortable?

[Mark,]

Im a disable vet at 50%, I had a major emergency last year due to med that i was on by VA. I spent time in a private hospital and am being charge for EMS service, and home oxygen. WHY???

[L. Lake]

Does tricare cover fertility treatments and if so, can someone seek assistance from a fertility specialist who is tricare approved independant from the long process of referrals from your local base doctor?

[manuel amoros]

I am 100% disable living in republic of Panama, I sumited all paper work for overseas tricare several months ago, during this time I was in a Hospital for several days all my savings are gone and tricare don´t care but they are taking my money every month, how many years, months will take for trycare to do the paper work, my medicines costme more than $800 a months.

[Paula]

I was reading the Tricare Prime Handbook about the dental coverage. From what the way the book reads, it sounds like dental coverage is seperate from the regular medical coverage. Do I need a different card to use at the dentist's office? The dental section in this book is very short and confusing!

[Amy]

when i couldn't get an appt with my dr at naval hospital they sent me med care and now i have to pay the bill

[Amy S]

We recently moved to West Virginia for recruiting duty so we became Prime Remote. Once we got our cards the people we know here said to absolutely change our doctor.. he's NO GOOD! So I called and tricare told me I had to call all the doctors and make sure they took tricare and were enrolling and could see them online. I checked the website and majority of the dr's I called either said check with tricare to see if they were a provider, didn't take tricare anymore or were pediatrics. Isn't there a better way to find a doc other than me spending 4 hours calling people that are on a list that's not correct? It's very frustrating to hear I have to check with the doc and then the doc says check with tricare.

[Vince Neuroth]

I will be going on Medicare this year, Parts A & B. I will also be having Tricare for Life. It is my understanding this will cover all my medical needs, Correct?

Vince Neuroth

[Lindsey G.]

Paula, dental is handled by United Concordia and is different enrollment than handled by Tricare for non-emergency care (everything except the couple things mentioned in the Tricare handbook are covered instead by UC). Your spouse will need to enroll in dental coverage seperately and it will be taken out of each pay period (it's something like $5 per month for dependants I think?). They will send you an insurance card, most places once you are enrolled will also just take your military ID since the SSN is on there and that is what they need in order to bill UC.

[Qasimah Dorsey-Ojeda]

I have some concerns about the number of facilities covered under the Tricare South umbrella. For example, I was scheduled to have surgery on my achillies tendon. My physician is affiliated with a surgery center with connection to his clinic.(Ankle and Foot Center of Georgia). However, Tricare does not cover this location. I received horrible services from the hospital, which I was hospitalized the day of my scheduled surgery. The incident was reported to the Hospital Administration. I am expected to have surgery again. Since my hospital stay was a nightmare, I would like for Tricare to do more for the caring of their soliders and the families. It is horrible when you hav so many deployed soliders and their families are receiving "crappy" services. My concern is what can I do or my physician do to get the surgery center approved?

[Jane H]

For 4 yrs my son has tried to convince TRICARE that his "home" base is NOT Georgia but MINNESOTA. He did his basic at Benning but does not live there. Also, he has told me that TRICARE will cost him $438/month once he is home from deployment. Is this true? He is ARNG. It is near impossible to find a medical facility of any kind to take TRICARE because they are so difficult to work with. Why are they making healthcare for our freedom fighters so difficult?????

[MARY JANE WHITEHAIR]

I WILL BE GOING ON MEDICARE IN 2 YEARS, AND I WILL HAVE TO TAKE PART A&B SO NOW WILL I STILL BE COVER UNDER TRICARE AND HAVE MY MEDICAL NEEDS TAKEN CARE OF

[Tangela]

Why does Tricare not offer better services and care for families living outside of a military area, I live in Charlotte, NC and to obtain care after hours at a Urgent care facility, I would have to drive over 50 miles, and there are 2 Urgent care facilities within a mile from my home that will no longer accept Tricare Prime. I don't think its fair that my husband has served 20 years for our country and his family nor his fellow service members families cant get adequate medical care in our area.

[Ange]

we were stationed in hawaii were we got EXCELLENT care, however, husband got deployed and i got special orders to move back to nm, AT THE REQUEST of my Dr's. Now, the closest base is 2 hours away and though I am willing to drive for my care, Triwest says NO I have to disenroll and go standard and pay OUTRAGEOUS deductibles for the specialists.I cant even get the rep on the phone to talk to them, can they do this? Husband is still active and deployed to Iraq yet I got special orders to be here...HELP!!

[Barb]

I am a surviving spouse. We were living at Moody AFB, GA when my husband was killed in Afghanistan almost five years ago. Before I moved my children back to our home of record, I went to our local Tricare office. They looked up "Prime" doctors in our new area. There was one listed within a 30 minute drive. I was also told that if I could locate a doctor willing to participate with Tricare to have them contact Tricare, which I did. After a year of being in the new area, a Tricare representative stated the one doctor who had been listed as "prime" "disappeared" from the listing and I received a letter from Tricare stating "they never intended to enroll me. After my 3 years (for being a military survivor) was up, I have been disenrolled automatically with no letter and am a standard patient with the same doctor. Also, the doctor that I had persuaded to become a participating doctor stated it was too frustrating to work with Tricare and is no longer participating. Surviving spouses should be able to remain prime, no matter what part of the country I live. My doctor was listed as prime not prime remote.

[Dawn]

We are stationed at Hurlburt Field and I am finding it near impossible to get an appointment on base with women's health primarily or my PCM as a backup. The appointment desk cannot offer a better time to call back. They suggest you call every single day in hopes that something becomes available. Who has time for that, it's ridiculous. I've called at least 6 times already. If they are so booked with patients and others are left without appointments why is the base restricted? They should let the overflow be seen off base. It just seems like the appropriate thing to do.

[Alex]

My husband and I were married almost 2 years ago and I am in DEERS but I don't have a doctor or an insurance card or any idea what to do. So, how do I enroll in Tricare?

[Rhonda]

We we stationed in Missouri and our son had two surgeries through a referred Tricare civilian provider. It really became a problem when we were stationed in Florida and he had to have the same surgery again. I called Tricare to get approvals for the surgery, and they had no previous record of any surgeries. Tricare would not approve a specialists for him. Why is the Tricare system not connected from region to region?

[sue wilding]

Would eyelid surgery to open eyes more after having Bells Palsy be covered by Tri Care?

[Mrs makerney]

i just need to know if tricare will take care of my bill even though i have tircare west and my husbend just got stationed in the south area or will i have to pay out of pocket

[Melissa]

i have no idea where to post a question so i guess ill leave it here. my husband will be deploying in feb. of 09 and i will be having a baby then also...i wont be staying here at ft. carson. i will be spending half and half in IL and FL. i wanted to know if i brought my baby to the ER in IL would we still be covered through Tricare. i know i probably need to contact the north region of Tricare for that, but nobody can seem to help me. does anyone here know what i should do?

[Laura]

I'm seeking fertility treatment with Tricare Prime North Region. I have undergone some ultrasounds scans and medication and that was covered, but now that I'm going to a specialist they say they want cover it. I spoke with 2 different people at Tricare and they said they cover all scans, medication and so forth just not the insemenation. I'm super confused can someone help???

[Randall Ock]

Had two episodes of bells palsy, on either side. Eyelids are drooped so bad it impairs vision. What do I have to do to get authorization for surgery. Is it authorized, I am covered by Tricare Prime. I am also retired.

[Ashley]

We are stationed at Whiteman AFB in MO. My son has severe eczema and allergies. Our dr on base is sending him to Dennver to a hospital that specializes in allergies. How does this work with Tricare? What all will they pay for as far as lodging, meals, flight, etc? I can't find anything on their website. Thank you for any information!

[tiarra]

is tricare only for individuals and familys in the military?

[George]

Hi everyone,

I am dx'd with headaches (migrains and cluster) been to the ER 4 times and only thing that helps is oxygen.

The neurologist said Tricare Prime is a pain to get approval for oxygen so he gave me more meds.....these meds make me sleepy and I already have barretts esophagus and really worried when they tear up my stomach more.

Does anyone know guidelines on tricare prime and oxygen we are in the south region. I did look but cannot find anythng that says you must have any certain disease or percentages for oxygen.

Thanks again,

[leanne]

How long normally will it take tricare to approve a surgery that is needed but not life threating...I had my nasal and gall bladder approved with in a week or less but this other surgery I had to submit pictures and documents because it can also be done for pure cosmetic reasons but if for medically needed they will approve it...so how long will it take so I start calling its been about a month since submitting the pics and documents.

[marilyn marrero]

can you help,my husband and I were married but now Separated we live in different states he's in Florida I'm in NEW YORK I have a problem with my health insurance is showing that tri-care chances is my third party for insurance but I never enroll before this is the first time I ever had a problem with my insurance I don't understand why it was done in the first place I have merto plus with medicaid how can I fix it do you have a customer service number I can contact someone it is urgent matter thank you.

[Pearl]

Me and my husband will be traveling on OCONUS leave and i was wondering what medical coverage tricare will provide us. Or would it be smart to purchase travel insurance?

[Sarah]

Hi.... I have a question. I and a spouse of an active duty soldier and I have Tricare Prime insurance through the North Region and well when I visit my mother, whom lives in the South Region I was wondering if I am still covered if I still visit a Tricare doctor outside my region?
Thanks You.