Anyone know if Tricare for Life is excepted in Thailand?   

short answer is no. Now I have had them pay many hospital bills but you must pay first and then submit too them for payment, on some bills this took as long as 6/7 months

I assume what you mean is, are there direct billing arrangements with Thai hospitals? (You may still be covered by insurance even without this, but would have to pay first and be reimbursed).

 

I know Tricare Active Duty has direct billing arrangements with some hospitals here, but have not seen Tricare for Life listed.

I knew there was no direct billing just as long as TRICARE eventually will reimburse unlike MEDICARE who I believe won't.  

Indeed, Medicare does not cover care outside the US.

 

Tricare will, you are lucky to have it, but I gather reimbursment can sometimes be slow.

Please see this from the JUSMAGTHAI website:

 

http://www.jusmagthai.com/medical.html

 

I have had direct billing to Tricare for inpatient procedures pre-arranged prior to the procedures. It is done on a case by case basis only at about 6 hospitals in Thailand that will deal with Tricare and the nurses at Jusmag. All Out patient care is out of pocket and file a claim with Tricare for reimbursement.

You should contact your local VFW post.  I know that here in Chiang Mai, they have worked out arrangements with CM Ram and Bangkok Hospital, but I don't know the specifics.  There are several military plans and I don't know where "Tricare for Life" fits in.  As Sheryl says, you're very fortunate to have a U.S. gov't insurance plan that reimburses you for medical care overseas.  Medicare should work this way, too.