Medicare is really good about covering your medical expenses. Except for the times where it’s not. Figuring out your coverage in the first place can be really difficult, and most times relies on you reaching out to an agent to help you figure it out. Veterans especially can have a difficult time covering their medical expenses. What benefits do veterans receive from TRICARE? For those that are eligible for both TRICARE and Medicare, can they work together to cover your medical expenses? Here’s what you need to know:
What even is TRICARE?
TRICARE is a regionally-operated health benefits program that works to give active members or veterans of the uniformed services health care coverage. This program used to be called CHAMPUS, but was changed in 1993. They offer about 9 different health plans that provide you with various benefits, ranging from TRICARE Prime to TRICARE Reserved Select. Whether or not you are currently in active service or not is a major factor in which plan will be right for you. If you have any questions about which plan suits you best, or about changing your plan, visit their website or contact a licensed representative today.
How does TRICARE cover you?
TRICARE offers coverage for a great deal of services for active duty members and veterans. Some of these services include, but aren’t limited to depending on various exclusions:
-outpatient visits
-maternity care
-preventive measures
-hospitalization
-mental health care
-immunizations
How does Medicare cover you?
Medicare is a health care coverage program that provides services for those Americans 65 years of age or older. Given that a lot of veterans in America are over 65 years of age, they are intersectional in that they can receive benefits from both Medicare and TRICARE. Refer to some of the blogs posted on our site if you have any questions concerning the various plans offered by Medicare and which one might be most ideal for you. If you have any further questions not answered by one of our blogs, contact a licensed representative and we’ll get you taken care of straight away.
Can it work together with Medicare?
TRICARE and Medicare can work together to cover a lot of your medical expenses. For instance, the specific plan TRICARE for Life offers you a dual coverage model. Medicare works as your primary payer, and TRICARE works as the secondary payer which helps to reduce your overall out-of-pocket expenses. With this plan, TRICARE can also cover your Medicare copayments and deductibles for Medicare approved services.
You need to be signed up for both Medicare plans A and B to maintain eligibility for TRICARE. If you are in active duty or are a family member of someone in active duty, then you do not need to be signed up for plan B. Check out the TRICARE website to see if you fall into any of the exclusions they list.
What should you do now?
We hope that you have fewer questions regarding your Medicare and TRICARE coverage than when you first started this blog. Look, health care coverage is messy. Sometimes it functions on a case to case basis; no two people and conditions are the same. Thankfully, TRICARE and Medicare can work together to get you the optimal coverage you deserve for someone who served for our country. If you have any other questions about this topic, reach out to one of our licensed representatives and we can answer you to the best of our abilities. We thank you for protecting our country and it’s our sincerest hope that we can be of service to you too.