T is for TriCare

Now that we are at the letter T in the A to Z Challenge we are just one week away from the end! I knew right away T would stand for TriCare. 

Every military family knows that navigating TriCare is a never-ending struggle. It can be confusing, frustrating, and can make you want to pull your hair out. And just when you think you’ve got it figured out, they change something, or you move. 

Just when I though I was finally understanding TriCare Prime, I threw a wrench into things as I switched to Standard. And I can say one thing about the switch thus far, I wish I would have done it sooner! 

Who would have know how wonderful Standard could be! I know there are a lot of articles out there about switching and why people were happy they switched, but I just couldn’t get past the idea that I would be giving up healthcare with no money out-of-pocket, for coverage that I would have deductibles and costs. I felt like I could deal with whatever craziness Prime sent my way because it was worth not paying. 

Whelp, I was wrong. The little I have to pay out-of-pocket is so worth being able to self refer to any kind of doctor. I almost forgot how nice it is to pick your own doctor and switch doctors if it isn’t a good fit, without extra paper work and having to wait for approvals. 

A great resource for military families other than TriCare.mil is all the information shared over at InDependent.org. They have an entire Navigating TriCare series that is full of great information and resources. The National Military Family Association also has a healthcare page that is full of information broken down by smaller categories.