TRICARE Overview
TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and survivors. TRICARE brings together the health care resources of the Army, Navy and Air Force and supplements them with networks of civilian health care professionals to provide better access and high quality service while maintaining the capability to support military operations. TRICARE is being implemented throughout the U.S., Europe, Latin America and the Pacific as a way to:
- Improve overall access to health care for beneficiaries
- Provide faster, more convenient access to civilian health care
- Create a more efficient way to receive health care
- Offer enhanced services, including preventive care
- Provide choices for health care
- Control escalating costs.
Who is Eligible for TRICARE?
- Active duty members and their families
- Retirees and their families
- Survivors of all uniformed services who are not eligible for Medicare.
Options
If you have other primary health care insurance, TRICARE Prime may not be your best option. Health Benefits Advisors are available at your local TRICARE Service Center (TSC) or Military Treatment Facility to help you decide which option is best for you.
TRICARE offers eligible beneficiaries three choices for their health care:
- TRICARE Prime ? where Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) are the principal source of health care.
- TRICARE Extra ? a preferred provider option that saves money
- TRICARE Standard ? a fee-for-service option (the old CHAMPUS program)
The main challenge for most eligible beneficiaries is deciding which TRICARE option (Prime, Extra or Standard) is best for them. Active Duty personnel are enrolled in TRICARE Prime and pay no fees. Active duty family members pay no enrollment fees, but they must choose a TRICARE option and apply for enrollment in TRICARE Prime. There are no enrollment fees for active duty families in TRICARE Prime.
