Tricare for Life Update 14 February 2008
Posted by Service Officer on February 15th, 2008
TFL FACTS & TIPS UPDATE 01: Tricare for Life (TFL) is TRICARE’s Medicare-wraparound coverage available to all Medicare-eligible Tricare beneficiaries, regardless of age, provided they have Medicare Parts A and B. Under TFL Medicare is your primary insurance and TRICARE acts as your secondary payer minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses. Tricare benefits include covering Medicare’s coinsurance and deductible. Key features of Tricare for Life include:
• Minimal out-of-pocket costs (aside from Medicare part B premium).
• No enrollment fees for TFL. But, you must purchase Medicare Part B and pay monthly premiums to be eligible for TFL.
• Coordination of benefits between Medicare and Tricare.
• Tricare is the secondary payer for all services covered by both Tricare and Medicare.
• Tricare is the primary payer for those services covered only by Tricare.
• Additional steps may be required in order to coordinate benefits if you have other health insurance in addition to Tricare and Medicare.
• Freedom to manage your own health care.
• No assigned primary care manager.
• Visit any Medicare provider.
• Receive care at a military treatment facility on a space-available basis.
• No claims to file (in most cases).
• Your provider files your claim with Medicare. Medicare processes the claims and forwards them electronically to Tricare.
• Tricare pays similarly to Tricare Standard in those overseas locations where Medicare is not available.
• You can apply to suspend your FEHBP coverage by calling the Office of Personnel Management’s Retirement Information line at 1-888-767-6738 to obtain a suspension form.
• Although the age for full Social Security retirement benefits has increased, the age for Medicare entitlement has not changed; it continues to be age 65.
TFL is available to all Medicare-eligible Tricare beneficiaries, regardless of age, including retired members of the National Guard and Reserve who are in receipt of retired pay, family members, widows and widowers and certain former spouses. Dependent parents and parents-in-law are not eligible for TFL. If you’re under age 65, have Medicare Part B, and live in a Tricare Prime service area, you have the option to enroll in Tricare Prime; Tricare waives your Tricare Prime enrollment fee. You should confirm that your Medicare status is current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Your uniformed services ID card and your Medicare card, which must reflect enrollment in Medicare Part B, are evidence of your TFL eligibility. To learn more about how TFL works for you, you can enter your profile at http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/index.jsp and select “Tricare for Life” as your health plan. For help in determining which plan options are available to you refer to http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ProfileFilter.do?puri=%2Fhome%2Foverview%2FPlanWizard.jsp? After answering a series of questions, it will tell you which plan options you may be eligible for. If you are not sure which plan you are in now, or if you want to compare your options side by side refer to http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ProfileFilter.do?puri=%2Fhome%2Foverview%2FComparePlans. [Source: http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ Jan 08 ++]
