The new Defense Department budget proposal for 2017 sent today to Congress drastically increases the cost of healthcare for military retirees under 65 and reorganizes the current Tricare system, but otherwise includes few other major military family program reforms. Under the new proposal the primary three Tricare options — Tricare Prime, Tricare Standard and the services used by retirees — would be combined into two basic plans. Like the current Tricare Prime and Standard options, the newly minted Tricare Select and Tricare Choice would continue to offer free services at Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and require co-pays for services from in-network civilian providers. Like Tricare Prime, Tricare Select would require users to receive referrals for specialty care, while Tricare Choice would operate like Tricare Standard, allowing users to self-refer. For more details, see this Military.com article.
Budget Proposal Includes Retiree Tricare Fee Hikes
