As you prepare for deployment, be sure to review your current medical coverage, and decide whether you want to make changes.
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS):
DEERS is a computer-based eligibility data system for personnel entitled to medical care benefits. It is also designed to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse in the use of health benefits and privileges.
The most important thing you can do is make sure all your information in DEERS is accurate. Since DEERS is the system used to determine eligibility for military health care, family members could be denied care if DEERS information is incorrect or incomplete.
TRICARE Options:
Like all health care plans, TRICARE has specific rules concerning what services are covered, the allowable charge for each service and whether the beneficiary needs permission to receive the service. Each military hospital and clinic has a health benefits advisor to provide assistance to you. A brief description is provided for the three plans available to eligible family members. Click here for detailed information or further questions.
a) TRICARE Prime: This option is the lowest in cost but you have to choose your health-care provider from a pre-approved network of providers, including military primary care managers. The primary care manager will provide most of your care, including referrals to specialists. Active duty families do not pay an annual enrollment fee, pay a reduced co-payment (none when using military facilities), and do not have to file claims when using network providers. All active duty members are automatically enrolled in Prime.
b) TRICARE Extra: In this option, you do not have to enroll or pay an annual fee. On a visit-by-visit basis, you can seek care from a provider who is part of the TRICARE Extra network and get a discount on services and reduced cost-shares. Also, you will not have to file claims when using network providers.
c) TRICARE Standard: This option is the same as the old CHAMPUS program. It pays a share of the cost of covered health care services that you obtain from a non-network civilian health care provider. You are responsible for a percentage of health care costs. Family members are automatically enrolled in Standard unless they indicate otherwise.
Dental Benefits:
Active duty military personnel are provided complete dental service at base dental clinics. As with most dental insurance, the plan is not totally free and all dental care is not covered. The monthly fee the family will pay depends on the number of family members. The cost is very low because the government pays the rest of the premium. The plan pays for diagnostic and preventive services. For other covered services, the servicemember will pay 20 percent of the cost.
The insurance carrier for this plan has agreements with many licensed dentists and hygienists to provide the required services. These agreements ensure acceptance by the dentists and hygienists of the plan's allowable charges of covered services plus your costs share, as the full fee for their services. In most cases, they will file the claim for you. A list of participating dentists, as well as more detailed information, can be obtained from your nearest health benefits advisor at the base hospital or clinic.
Learn more at the Military.com Deployment Center.
