What type of coverage is TRICARE?

Asked by: Natalia Grimes PhD  |  Last update: May 17, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (67 votes)

TRICARE is the uniformed services healthcare program for active duty service members, active duty family members, National Guard and Reserve members and their family members, retirees and retiree family members, survivors, and certain former spouses worldwide.

What type of healthcare is TRICARE?

TRICARE is the health care program for service members, retirees and their families worldwide. TRICARE provides comprehensive coverage, health plans, special programs, prescriptions and dental plans.

Is TRICARE a PPO or HMO?

Is TRICARE a HMO or PPO? Both. TRICARE has HMO (managed care) plan options (the various Prime plans, as well as US Family Health Plan) and PPO options (Select, Select Overseas, Reserve Select, and Retired Reserve).

Is TRICARE Medicare or Medicaid?

Medicare is your primary payer. TRICARE pays second to Medicare or last if you have other health insurance. TRICARE supplements don't qualify as "other health insurance.". TRICARE benefits include covering Medicare's coinsurance and deductible for services covered by Medicare and TRICARE.

What does TRICARE Select fall under?

TRICARE Select is a self-managed, preferred provider organization (PPO) plan available in the U.S. You must show eligible for TRICARE in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.

How Medicare Works with TRICARE for Life

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Is TRICARE dental PPO or HMO?

Is the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Program that is administered through United Concordia a PPO or an HMO plan? A: The United Concordia plan is a PPO-type plan, but it is a specific TRICARE contract, and your dentist should know whether they accept it or not.

Is TRICARE a primary plan?

If you lose other health insurance, TRICARE becomes your primary payer. If you have TRICARE for Life, TRICARE becomes the second payer after Medicare.

Is TRICARE under UnitedHealthcare?

The U.S. Defense Department has awarded multiyear contracts worth $58 billion to Humana and Centene Corp. to manage Tricare, surprisingly booting incumbent health insurer UnitedHealthcare in the process.

Does TRICARE cover everything?

TRICARE covers services that are medically necessary. and considered proven. However, there are special rules or limits on certain types of care, while other types of care aren't covered at all.

Why is TRICARE not paying claims?

A claim may be denied for several reasons. Many times it's a simple error that you (if you submitted the claim) or your provider made when submitting the claim. See Claim Filing Tips for a list of common mistakes. If your claim is unpaid or denied, contact your claims processor.

What insurance company is TRICARE?

TRICARE provides comprehensive coverage to all beneficiaries, including... Most TRICARE health plans meet the requirements for minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act. TRICARE is managed by the Defense Health Agency under leadership of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs).

What are some disadvantages of TRICARE?

TRICARE plans have specific payment restrictions for certain diagnostic services, utilization limits on visits or consultation and procedures that TRICARE deems not proven effective.

What did TRICARE used to be called?

TRICARE replaced the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) program in 1993.

What is a TRICARE provider?

A TRICARE-authorized provider is a provider approved by TRICARE to give health care services to beneficiaries.

Is TRICARE completely free?

Active duty service members don't have out-of-pocket costs. However, active duty family members (ADFMs) may have costs. These costs depend on your TRICARE health plan, your sponsor's pay grade and group, the type of care you get, and where you get care.

Who does TRICARE go through?

TRICARE is the health care benefit program for active-duty personnel, retirees, National Guard and Reserve personnel, and their family dependents and survivors. The program is managed by the Defense Health Agency for the Department of Defense (DOD).

Is TRICARE an HMO?

TRICARE Prime is your managed care option, like a health maintenance organization, or HMO. It usually features the use of military hospitals and clinics. It also greatly reduces out-of-pocket costs for authorized care provided outside military facilities by TRICARE-authorized network providers.

Is TRICARE a PPO?

Tricare Select is like a civilian preferred provider organization, or PPO. Users can select their own primary care manager and self-refer to specialists. While some provider appointments, such as well-child visits, carry no fees, others do.

What are the three types of TRICARE?

This fact sheet provides an overview of TRICARE health plans, including TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, TRICARE For Life, and TRICARE Plus.

Is TRICARE a type of Medicare?

TRICARE For Life is Medicare wraparound coverage for TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries who have Medicare Parts A and B. Coverage is automatic if you have Parts A and B and pay your Part B premiums. There is no fee for enrolling in TRICARE For Life.

Is TRICARE considered other health insurance?

TRICARE supplements don't qualify as "other health insurance."." It can be through your employer or a private insurance program. By law, TRICARE pays after all other health insurance, except for: Medicaid. TRICARE supplements.

What will TRICARE not cover?

TRICARE doesn't cover services and supplies:
  • From a scientific or medical study, grant, or research program.
  • Provided for free.
  • That would be free if you or your sponsor weren't eligible for TRICARE.
  • Such as inpatient stays directed or agreed to by a court or other government agency, unless medically necessary.

What insurance company is TRICARE under?

On that date, it was disestablished and Tricare responsibility was transferred to the newly established Defense Health Agency. The Department of Defense operates a health care delivery system that served approximately 9.4 million beneficiaries in 2018.

Does TRICARE cover dental?

TRICARE covers adjunctive dental care as part of the medical benefit. Dental coverage for diagnostic and preventive services, restorative services, orthodontics, oral surgery, endodontics, and other non-medical services are provided under two different dental plans: Active Duty Dental Program. TRICARE Dental Program.

Will TRICARE pay my copay?

Active duty service members don't have out-of-pocket costs; however, active duty family members and transitional survivors may. If you're enrolled in a TRICARE Prime plan, you won't have copayments unless you use the point-of-service option or fill a prescription outside of a military pharmacy.