Whether you were in uniform for only a few years or made the military a career, your time in service will unlock countless benefits for the rest of your life.
While it’s worth exploring everything from education assistance to small-business support, many veterans will find healthcare needs a top priority, especially as they grow older. Retiring service members retain TRICARE benefits after leaving uniform and may be eligible to purchase dental and vision plans through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP. They move to TRICARE for Life upon enrolling in Medicare.
Some retirees, along with other veterans, have access to care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Veterans with both TRICARE and VA healthcare eligibility are welcome to get care through either system. Here’s what you should know about each plan, and what you should do before leaving uniform (or as soon as possible, if you’ve already been out of uniform) to ensure you receive the benefits you’ve earned.
TRICARE
TRICARE beneficiaries in the United States and its territories may choose between TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select. Military retirees and their dependents living outside the U.S. can use TRICARE Select Overseas. Prime and Select provide identical treatment of covered medical services. The differences: Prime can cost less; Select provides greater flexibility in accessing care.
Starting months before retiring from the military, compare the available TRICARE plans at www.TRICARE.mil to choose what’s best for you and your family. Spouses may sign up for a different plan than the military retiree and pay an individual rate for their plan versus the family rate.
You should also check the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) to ensure your status has moved to “retired.” Once it does, and within 90 days of your retirement date, enroll in your choice of TRICARE plan. TRICARE FOR LIFE Medicare enrollment in parts A and B, or a Medicare Advantage plan Part C, gives military retirees, spouses, and surviving spouses access to TRICARE for Life, which acts as your Medicare supplement, covering the Medicare annual deductible and 20% of copays.
TRICARE for Life beneficiaries do not need Medicare Part D (pharmacy), and Advantage plan enrollees using TFL should avoid plans with pharmacy coverage. Each year, your program will automatically roll over to the next year unless you make changes during open season. Advantage enrollees with TRICARE for Life can revert back to Original Medicare at any time. Keep your military ID card and all personal data up to date for the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and Defense Finance and Accounting Service or the Coast Guard’s Pay and Personnel Center.
VA Care
More than nine million veterans are enrolled in the VA’s healthcare program, and recent eligibility changes have expanded healthcare benefits to millions more veterans. You can apply for benefits online and find details at VA.gov/health-care.
Veterans will be assigned to one of eight priority groups by the VA to determine what care they can access and whether they will be charged for specific services. Your service history, disability rating, income level, and other factors will be used to determine your priority group. VA provides up to 10 years of no-cost healthcare for enrolled veterans who served in a theater of combat operations.
MOAA is one of the country’s leading organizations protecting the earned benefits of uniformed service members and their families and survivors. Learn more at moaa.org.
