Q. I am 10 weeks pregnant and was wondering whether Tricare will cover a DNA test before the baby is born? One of the two possible fathers is in the military and is heading out on a short-term deployment soon, and both of us want to know if he is, in fact, the father by the time he returns.
A. Tricare does not cover paternity tests, mainly because while such tests may be legally necessary in some scenarios, they are not medically necessary.
Q. I leave for National Guard basic training soon and am wondering if I can get Tricare insurance cards for my family for when I'm away. Where do I go, and who do I see for that?
A. There's no such thing as a "Tricare insurance card." The only identification needed to use Tricare benefits is a military ID card.
You must register as your family's military sponsor in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System, and then you must register your spouse and/or children in DEERS under your sponsorship, in order for all of you to receive military ID cards. You can engage DEERS by contacting the ID Card/DEERS office at your nearest military installation, or by calling the main DEERS support office at 800-538-9552.
While you are on active duty in basic training — and thereafter, whenever you are mobilized for active duty during your Guard career — you and your family are entitled to full Tricare coverage and will merely need to show your military ID cards when accessing health care.
While in drilling status, however, the only Tricare option available to you and your family will be a program called Tricare Reserve Select, which requires enrollment and payment of monthly premiums.
You can get more information on TRS here .
Q. I'm a military retiree with Medicare Parts A and B, as well as Tricare for Life. I'm also retired from a major bank with whom I have commercial health care coverage. Soon, I will be dropped from the company plan and am being offered various individual supplemental plans to consider at my expense. Since I have both Medicare and Tricare for me and my spouse, do we need any other coverage?
A. The combination of Medicare Parts A and B and Tricare Standard, which comprises Tricare for Life, should cover 100 percent of your medical costs on the vast majority of your medical claims.
But there are a few quirks in TFL coverage. One is that neither Medicare nor Tricare covers routine annual vision or hearing exams, or hearing aids or eyeglasses. For that reason, if nothing else, you may want to consider one of the supplemental plans being offered through your former employer.
Questions? Email to tricarehelp@militarytimes.com.
