[quote=briansd1]…He’s paying $548 per year for family coverage. That’s a smoking deal…[/quote]

Uh, folks … this is “Tricare Prime.” It’s not exactly the same as what you may be “accustomed to.” It’s more like an HMO where you don’t get a huge choice of providers. In addition, if you live in an area where military facilities abound, the only way to get “free” care is to use military hospitals and clinics. In any case, there is an office visit co-pay and a hospital co-pay with TP if using civilian facilities (ex: Sharp Rees Stealy Urgent Care). If, as a TP “beneficiary,” you seeking authorization for elective surgery, for example, Tricare Prime may approve it done ONLY at a military facility. If you were thinking TP “beneficiaries” are enjoying “free brand-name” prescriptions and having their cancer treated at the Mayo Clinic, think again. They have to wait in line at a military facility and pull a number to turn in a paper prescription if they want it for “free.” And it better be written properly as a “generic.” To get refills, you call a NAVHOSP number and they are mailed to your home in 5-10 days. Refills are NOT instant, you can’t get them in person and you can’t just have your doctor call them into Rite Aid, lol. If you need a refill and don’t have any left on your prescription, you have to go back to the dr, get another paper prescription and go back to the military pharmacy pull a number, rinse and repeat.

No, it’s not the same as Aetna or Anthem Blue Cross, etc PPO’s. Not by a long shot.