Doctor wants to see Tricare for Life card; where can I get one?
March 9th, 2012 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
Several times I’ve had doctor’s office give me a blank look when I tell them my health insurance is Tricare for Life. They say they’ve never heard of it, and they want to see a Proof of Insurance card. Where can I get such a card?
Under Tricare for Life, your primary insurance is Medicare. I know it seems awkward when you know you are a Tricare beneficiary, and your health insurance is called Tricare for Life. But look at it this way. Under TFL, Tricare acts as a free Medicare supplement.
Providers usually don’t care which Medicare supplement you have because they will look to you for payment of what Medicare does not pay. What you owe is your 20 percent Medicare copayment and maybe some Medicare deductible. Whether you have a supplement to pay it for you, or whether it comes out of your own pocket, you, the patient, are responsible.
So, when asked about your health insurance, just say you have Medicare. That’s the important word. If they ask about a Medicare supplement, then you can say you have Tricare.
TFL doesn’t have an identification or proof-of-insurance card because. Just show your Medicare card and your military ID card.
And, any time you go to a new provider of any health care service, whether it’s a doctor, or a hospital, or a physical therapist, or a medical supply and equipment vendor, or anything related to health care, always ask if the provider files Medicare claims, before you incur a debt.
If a provider does not, or cannot file Medicare claims, it is an indication that the provider is not an authorized Medicare provider. That doesn’t mean there is something wrong with the provider. It means, however, that neither Medicare nor Tricare will pay for any services you get from that provider.
What if estranged husband tries to stop us from getting ID cards?
November 30th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
My estranged husband of 26 years is retired Army and has been extremely hostile since I left our abusive relationship. In the two and a half years we have been separated, he has disobeyed every court order issued for child support and disclosure of income and assets. Now my daughter and I need new military ID cards, which we need to prove our coverage under Tricare — our only health insurance. Although I have been told that a hostile spouse cannot terminate Tricare while we are married, he will undoubtedly refuse to process the paperwork necessary for the new ID cards. How can I get the new ID cards without his cooperation?
Once you divorce your husband, your and your daughter’s Tricare eligibility will be separate issues.
Your daughter is automatically eligible for Tricare because her father is a retired uniformed service member. To use Tricare, she must be registered in DEERS and be issued her ID card. Only the uniformed services or the Defense Department can do either of those things for her. Her father’s permission, approval, or assistance, however, are not required.
You may need official help to register her in DEERS and to get her ID card if her father will not cooperate. All you need to do is call the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552. DEERS deals with eligibility issues only.
Your letter implies that you will still be eligible for Tricare after your divorce because of the 26-year duration of your marriage. DEERS can help you with that, too. If you meet the requirements as a former spouse, you are legally eligible for Tricare, and DEERS will help you get registered and get a proper ID card.
Your former husband does not have the power or the authority to prevent you from using Tricare. He cannot control your access to care and has no rights to know whether you file Tricare claims or anything about your medical care. That is all confidential.
However, the court may grant your former husband the right to information about his daughter’s claims and medical care. That is something to discuss with your attorney if you have one.
How should I time the renewal of ID card?
November 28th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
I am an Army retiree and my wife and I are enrolled in Tricare Prime. I turn 65 next August 1. The front of my ID card reads an expiration date of INDEF, while the reverse shows an insurance expiration date of June 30, 2012. Having a birthday on the first of the month means I start Medicare not on August 1, but on July 1, and my recent Tricare billing correctly reflected a pro-rated premium to that effect. Provided I confirm that Tricare knows that I did indeed timely enroll in both Medicare Parts A and B, ensuring coverage under Tricare for Life, may I safely re-new my ID card in mid-July, or must I renew it before then?
Tricare has no authority regarding the issue/reissue of uniformed service ID cards. That operation is totally under the authority and control of the uniformed services.
The only need for the ID card, for Tricare purposes, is as proof of Tricare eligibility. It should be presented to each health care provider for that purpose.
The back of the ID card has statements regarding eligibility for medical care. The word “YES” in the appropriate space concerning civilian medical care is proof of Tricare eligibility at the time the card was issued.
Please note that proof of Tricare eligibility is not a guarantee that claims will be paid or, if paid, of any guaranteed amount. Claims and services must meet certain standards for Tricare coverage. The provider of care must be Tricare-authorized, and the medical service must be one that is allowed by federal law and regulation.
For official information about the renewal of your ID card, please contact the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552.
Is a dependent ID card needed to use Tricare Young Adult?
November 18th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
My daughter recently signed up for the Tricare Young Adult program. She is 22. Is she required to get a dependent ID card?
The uniformed service identification card serves as proof of Tricare coverage. On the back of the card are statements regarding eligibility for civilian medical care at government expense. The word “Yes” in the appropriate space is proof of Tricare eligibility at the time the card was issued.
For an official answer to your question, please call the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552.
Turning 65; how can I prove I have Tricare?
September 28th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
I am retired military and I will turn 65 in December and go on Medicare. Do I need a card to show that I have Tricare coverage?
To continue to be eligible for Tricare after Dec. 1, federal law requires you to be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. If you are enrolled in both parts, and if your DEERS record is up-to-date and reports that you are enrolled in Medicare Part B, you will automatically be eligible for the Tricare plan called Tricare for Life.
Under TFL, you must get all your civilian medical care from Medicare providers only. A Medicare provider is one who is registered with Medicare and is authorized to be paid by Medicare for medical care he provides to Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare cannot pay for any medical care you receive from a non-Medicare provider.
The Medicare provider will file a Medicare claim for all the services he provides to you. He will ask whether you have a Medicare supplement or other health insurance. All you need to do is say that you have Tricare and show your military ID card as proof of your Tricare coverage. That information is on the back of the card. There is a statement about your eligibility for civilian medical care. Your card should have the word “YES” typed in that space to show you are eligible for Tricare.
Just married to service member; how do I use Tricare Standard?
January 3rd, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
Q. I recently got married and my husband is active duty. I am currently registered in DEERS as his wife and have received an ID card. I would like to use Tricare Standard but am not sure what I need to do. I have not received an “insurance card” or any paperwork, but Tricare’s website says there is nothing else for me to do as long as I am updated in DEERS. Do I just use my ID card at the doctor’s office to start using it or was I supposed to receive another type of card?
Look on the back of your military ID card. It asks whether you are eligible for civilian medical care. That refers to Tricare. The word, YES, in that area indicates that you are eligible for Tricare. There is no other proof of insurance for Tricare Standard.
Unless you have specifically enrolled in Tricare Prime, your eligibility is automatically under Tricare Standard. If you live in an area near a military hospital, you are probably eligible for Tricare Prime, which is the recommended coverage for active-duty family members in that situation. Among other things, Tricare Prime gives you priority access to free medical care at the military hospital near your home. You may want to review the differences between Tricare Prime and Tricare Standard on the Tricare website.
What about the expiration date on my ID card?
March 22nd, 2010 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
Q. In answering questions about proof of insurance, you have said to look on the back of the retired ID card about eligibility for civilian medical care and look for the word “yes”. However, one of the next entries is an expiration date that seems to coincide with the day before you turn 65. What do we tell doctors’ offices about the expiration date?
Tricare has no authority or responsibility in matters pertaining to the issue or correction of military identification cards. Only the services have that authority. Timely renewing of your ID card and keeping your DEERS record current in a timely manner, however, is your responsibility.
With regard to using Tricare, the only proof of insurance your provider needs is your currently valid military ID card.
If your ID card reports that you are eligible on the date you receive the medical care, your doctor need have no concerns about eligibility.
Now, let’s talk about why the card-issuing office chose that date for your card to expire. It has to do with your Medicare eligibility and its effect on your Tricare eligibility.
If they apply in a timely manner, the vast majority of Americans become entitled to Medicare on the first day of the month of their 65th birthday. If the person was born on the first day of the month, their Medicare entitlement becomes effective on the first day of the previous month.
When your ID card was issued, the issuing office assumed you will become eligible for Medicare on the first day of the month of your 65th birthday.
I haven’t read service regulations concerning the matter, but I believe it is SOP. Every ID card I’ve seen follows that procedure. That is, ID cards show Tricare eligibility ending on the last day of the month preceding the first day of the month of the bearer’s 65th birthday.
With three exceptions, any Tricare beneficiary who becomes entitled to Medicare Part A, at any age or for any reason, is required by federal law, to be enrolled in Medicare Part B on the date his Medicare Part A becomes effective.
The three exceptions are: (1) an active duty family member; (2) a person enrolled in the US Family Health Plan; or, (3) an active duty uniformed service member. The legal requirement for Part B enrollment does not apply to them. (Active duty members’ Tricare Prime enrollment [#3, above] is a special category which is exempt from everything discussed here.)
Medicare has a different law about when you must enroll in Part B. But you must obey the Tricare law, reported above, about Part B enrollment.
Every month, DEERS runs through the list of Tricare beneficiaries who are going to be 65 in the next month. Each of them must have in his DEERS record one of two reports: (1) an official report from Medicare that the person is not eligible for Medicare; or, (2) a report from Medicare that the person is enrolled in Medicare Part B. If a beneficiary does not, DEERS automatically terminates his Tricare eligibility. That is required by federal law.
Medicare is supposed to notify DEERS automatically when the Tricare beneficiary is enrolled in Part B. If, for any reason, the beneficiary’s DEERS record does not report your Medicare Part B is in effect as required by law, or if it doesn’t report that you are not eligible for Medicare, DEERS must automatically terminate your Tricare eligibility.
To restore or preserve Tricare eligibility, the beneficiary is responsible for any action needed to correct his DEERS record to report that he has Medicare Part B in effect. A person who loses Tricare eligibility because his DEERS record does not report Part B enrollment should ask DEERS for help about how to fix it. Mostly it will involve enrolling in Part B and telling Social Security that you have an emergency and need to have Part B go into effect immediately.
Automatic weapons can fail. So can Medicare’s action to notify DEERS of the beneficiary’s Part B enrollment. I recommend calling DEERS, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552, a week or so before the effective date of your Medicare coverage to ensure your DEERS record has been updated automatically and that it reports that you are enrolled in Part B. The DEERS update also should report Tricare for Life eligibility. If any of it was not done, ask DEERS how to fix it.