US Military Retiree's, Tricare & Age 65

[retiredaamt]

American Military Retirees in Thailand.  Good information below if you haven't turned 65 years of age.

 

American Legion Thailand Post TH01

 

By taking a few simple steps, retirees can make sure they have their TRICARE benefits after they turn 65. Four months before your 65th birthday, you will receive a postcard from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), the office that supports the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System(DEERS) A database of information on uniformed services members (sponsors), U.S.-sponsored foreign military, DoD and uniformed services civilians, other personnel as directed by the DoD, and their family members. You need to register in DEERS to get TRICARE., with information about keeping TRICARE coverage after age 65. 

You must have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B to be eligible for TRICARE For Life. TRICARE For Life is Medicare wrap-around coverage for TRICARE beneficiaries who are entitled to Medicare Part A and have Medicare Part B regardless of where you live or your age. 

The Medicare initial enrollment period is seven months. If you miss your initial enrollment period, your next chance to sign up for Medicare Part B is during the general enrollment period, Jan. 1 – March 31. Your coverage will begin July 1st , and your monthly premium for Part B may go up 10 percent for each 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn’t sign up for it. Also, there will be a lapse in your TRICARE coverage until Part B is effective. 

Be sure to sign up for Part B no later than two months before your 65th birthday. If you do not receive a postcard from DMDC, call them at 1- 800-538-9552. 

For more information about TRICARE For Life, visit www.tricare.mil/tfl. You can get information about Medicare Parts A and B on www.medicare.gov.  

[Pib]

You may receive the notification from DMDC via email instead of postcard if you have chosen to receive such notifications via email vs mail.  Example below:

 

Quote

 

Dear XXXXXXXXX,

You may need to sign up for Medicare in order to keep your TRICARE coverage. If you already have Medicare Part A and Part B, no action is required.

 

TRICARE beneficiaries who become entitled to Medicare due to age or disability generally must sign up for Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B in order to keep TRICARE. For more  information, visit www.tricare.mil/medicare, sign in to the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) milConnect portal, or access the following link: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/help/pdf/65brochure.pdf . This information is only available online; it will not be mailed to you.

To view, save or print your brochure within milConnect, sign into milConnect at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/ or http://milconnect.dmdc.mil using your CAC, DFAS Pin, or DS Logon and select "eCorrespondence" under the "Correspondence/Documentation" tab.

Currently milConnect works best with the following browsers: IE8,9,10, Firefox and Chrome 31 or below. milConnect does not function with IE11 or Chrome32. Additionally, if you receive a certificate error you will need to add milConnect to your trusted sites list for any browser.

 

If you no longer wish to receive benefits notifications via email, you must access the "My Profile" tab to update your email notifications preference to "no". Please note that if you change your email preference you will receive a postcard directing you back to milConnect to pick up your correspondence.

 

If you choose to sign in with a DS Logon and do not already have one, please click on the "Sign Up" button on the milConnect website. An upgraded premium account is required for access to milConnect. Please refer to the "How To" Guides or the "How do I Upgrade" link on the DS Logon page for information on how to upgrade your account. If you get a logon error regarding the vetting of your identity, an account upgrade is needed.

Note: Response emails are not monitored. If you have any issues retrieving your correspondence, please send an email to [email protected].  If you have a CAC, please electronically sign your email when writing to this mailbox.

 

 

[gk10002000]

"You must have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B to be eligible for TRICARE For Life".  Interesting.  I am ex military but not covered by Tricare since I didn't reach full retirement, but I know many friends and co-workers that are.  I will query them about the Medicare especially Part B

[Pib]

Yeap, if you want to continue Tricare coverage upon reaching 65 (then they call it Tricare for Life but it's really just Tricare Standard/Overseas with a different name),  you must pay Part B Medicare premiums.

 

If doing so, Medicare is the first payer and then Tricare picks up the remaining portion of allowable charges effectively giving you 100% reimbursement "within the U.S."  

 

But since Medicare does not provide coverage outside the U.S., if  you are living outside the U.S. like living in Thailand then Tricare is the first (and only) payer and covers up to 75% which is the standard reimbursement for Tricare Standard/Overseas like when under 65.  But if you go back to U.S. (for a visit or move back permanently) to get medical care then the Medicare and Tricare for Life coverage immediately applies (i.e., 100% reimbursement of allowable charges).

 

[JimGant]

Yeah, Tricare for Life (TFL) was the best thing that ever happened to retired military -- and, luckily, came about when Clinton was running a budget surplus (couldn't happen today). My folks (Dad, retired Navy) had some serious medical issues -- and they never paid one dime, as TFL even picked up Medicare's annual deductible (and had none of its own). Now, the DOD brass is trying to raise the premiums and co-pays (yeah, the generals putting the retirees second to the F-35 overruns) -- but Congress (so far) is having none of it, what with the Walter Reed fiasco still in their memory. But, someday soon, we'll see Tricare cuts, as there are valid arguments for such cuts (deductible, at $150, and catastrophic cap, at $3000, haven't changed in decades). So, TFL as we know it in Thailand (which is really Tricare Standard) will certainly see some new costs in the near future (to include the required Medicare B premium, already heading up).

 

Here in Thailand, I certainly can self-insure relatively nitnoy 25% co-pays, up to the very low $3000 cap -- and probably will have no problem with the higher numbers certainly coming one day soon from Congress. The one outlier in all of this is, the reimbursement rates of Medicare (and so too Tricare), which are the published fee schedules, that are considerably lower than what your neighborhood US doctor would charge -- if you weren't covered by Medicare. But, your doctor need not accept Medicare (and its reimbursement schedule), as more and more doctors aren't . So, if your US doctor -- like all Thai doctors -- hasn't signed up to accept Medicare patients -- he can charge whatever he likes.

 

Fortunately, so far in Thailand, the medical costs charged are, for the most part, well within the Medicare reimbursement fee schedules (so too hospital costs). Fingers crossed that Thailand medical fees stay within Medicare guidelines....... (But, realistically, can't see it ever going well over -- even with a baht surge.)

 

[Pib]

Current SESs/generals/political appointees are definitely pushing for military retirees to start paying a "lot" more in Tricare premiums, co-pays, medications, higher deductibles, etc.  They love  you while still on active duty but once retired you now seem to be considered a great burden to them.  Been a real change in attitude by the suits in the Pentagon over the last 5 years or so...and they have been getting the Administration's (i.e., the executive branch) support....only Congress (key elected officials but not all) and Veterans groups have been keeping the Pentagon suits & bean counters somewhat at bay so far. 

[4evermaat]

Kind of sad considering the sacrifice those people have made.