I’m already on Medicare Part A
Q. I turn 60 in February. I have been disabled for the last 10 years and am on Medicare Part A. I didn’t have to accept a penalty for not signing up for Part B because my wife works and I use her...
View ArticleTricare and Medicare Parts A and B
Q. I retired from the Army and currently use Tricare Standard as my primary medical insurance. My wife will turn 65 soon and is retired and drawing Social Security. When she contacted the Social...
View ArticleIf we marry and my husband dies, will I be eligible?
Q. My fiance is 84, a retired Navy man, and he’s just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He would like me to marry him so I can be covered by Tricare after his death. My question is, if he dies —...
View ArticleWhen one spouse gets TFL before the other
Q. My wife is three years older than me. As long as we are still on Tricare Prime, this poses no problems. However, she will reach 65 and become eligible for Medicare before I will. What steps will we...
View ArticleMixed messages on Medicare rules
Q. I got Tricare when I turned 60, and now I’m signing up for Medicare and Tricare for Life. Medicare told me that because I’m still working and have health insurance from my job, I don’t have to sign...
View ArticleSocial Security says retirement is at 66; Tricare says 65. Which is it?
Q. According to Social Security, if you were born between 1943 and 1955, full retirement age is 66. But doesn’t Tricare say that by time we reach age 65 we have to go to Tricare for Life and have...
View ArticleCovered by Standard and federal plan – what happens when I turn 65?
Q. This September I will be 65 years old and eligible for Medicare. I am retired from the Navy, and have Tricare Standard for myself and my family. I am also retired from federal service, and I am...
View ArticleCan disabled adult daughter get TFL?
Q. I am retired from the Air Force and would like to get my 37-year-old daughter on Tricare for Life. She was diagnosed with fibromialgia about 10 years ago and had to go on full disability two years...
View ArticleTransitioning to TFL while undergoing physical therapy
Q. I am currently receiving physical therapy for two separate injuries, with the possibility of shoulder surgery if the PT does not work. I am currently under Tricare Prime and will transition to...
View ArticleWhat happens when I get Medicare before age 65?
Q. I have a question about Medicare and Tricare, but all the info I find is for people over 65 and I am only 49. My husband is retired military and we have both been on Tricare Prime. About two years...
View ArticleIn Tricare for Life, why do I also need Medicare Part A?
Q. When I get Medicare, I know I’m required to enroll in Medicare Part B. But I know Medicare starts with Part A, which is free. What am I supposed to do with Part A? Why do I have it? The program...
View ArticleHow do I know if I’m eligible for TFL?
Q. I have had a job with good health insurance for almost 30 years. I’ll lose my employer’s insurance if I retire next year at age 65. How do I enroll in Tricare for Life based on my wartime military...
View ArticleHow will employer’s plan, TFL work for wife?
Q. I am a retired sailor and a federal employee. We have my employer’s health insurance, with Tricare as second payer. My wife is two years older than I am and will be eligible for Medicare this year....
View ArticleWill I still be covered after husband’s death?
Q. My husband retired from the Navy in 1994. He is now 76 years old and uses Tricare as secondary coverage for Medicare. I am still working at age 55. We have been married since 1989. Will I remain...
View ArticleWhat will happen to my coverage after husband dies?
Q. My husband retired from the Navy in 1992. He is now 80 years old and uses Tricare as secondary coverage for Medicare. I am still working at age 51. We have been married since 1988. Will I remain...
View ArticleHow do I keep coverage for younger husband when I get TFL?
Q. I’m a retired reservist and retired federal employee with employees’ health insurance. I have a civilian husband who is three years younger, but no children. I’ll be 65 in August and get Medicare...
View ArticleWith TFL, do we really need a supplemental?
My spouse and I are both retired military, on Social Security, and we have Medicare Part B and Tricare for Life. For several years we have had a supplemental policy from United Health. But if we have...
View ArticleWhy can’t wife get TFL when I do?
Q. My wife has Tricare as a direct result of my wartime military service. Her eligibility is carried in DEERS under my Social Security number, not hers. By the same token, therefore, when I get...
View ArticleI know I need Medicare parts A and B; what about Part D?
Q. Must I also enroll in Medicare Part D (prescription coverage) in order to have Tricare prescription coverage? Or, would Tricare cover my prescription needs without the need to enroll, and pay for,...
View ArticleAll you need to know to transfer to Tricare for Life
Q. What do I need to do to transfer from Tricare to Tricare for Life? Becoming enrolled in Tricare for Life, is an automatic process that comes about as a result of your becoming entitled to Medicare...
View ArticleHow can I find a doctor who will take TFL?
Q. I am switching my coverage from Tricare to Tricare for Life (I have enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B), but I can’t find a doctor who says he will take Tricare for Life. Where can I find a list of...
View ArticleWhen must I sign up for Medicare Part B?
Q. I am retired military, but an active state employee covered by the state health plan. Presently, Tricare is my secondary coverage. In August I will turn 65. I must sign up for Medicare. Because I am...
View ArticleWhat kind of Medicare am I paying for?
Q. I am an Army retiree working in the civil service. I have Medicare deductions taken out of every paycheck, although I have never received any information about what kind of Medicare coverage it is...
View ArticleWhat kind of plan is TFL considered to be, in relation to Medicare?
Q. I am trying to file an insurance claim for my mother, who has Medicare Part A & B and Tricare for Life. The form asks if she has insurance coverage other than Medicare. The options are: Coverage...
View ArticleHow can I help blind friend get Tricare?
My friend retired and has gone blind. How can I get him on Tricare? If your friend is entitled to receive retired pay, he is most likely eligible for Tricare. He needs to be registered with his...
View ArticleTurning 65; how can I prove I have Tricare?
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...
View ArticleJust found out Dad isn’t signed up for Part B; what now?
My father, an Army retiree, turned 65 in April and has not yet enrolled in Medicare Part B. Are there any penalties for late enrollment? He was recently hospitalized, and I need to know the quickest,...
View ArticleIs there a waiting list for Tricare for Life?
I am on Tricare Prime now, but I will become eligible for Medicare in January. Will I get Tricare for Life then, or is there a waiting list? There is no waiting list for Tricare for Life. Here’s what’s...
View ArticleTFL’s Medicare provider rule doesn’t apply overseas
You have written that “under Tricare for Life, you must get all your civilian medical care from Medicare providers only.” That’s only if you expect Medicare to pay its portion under Tricare for Life,...
View ArticleWhat happens to younger spouse when I get Medicare?
I am retired Navy and in another year will turn 65. For the last 15 years my family has been enrolled in Tricare Prime. My plan is to continue with Tricare for Life. My spouse is four years younger...
View ArticleWhy are Medicare and Tricare telling me opposite things?
My employer provides a Medicare-approved health insurance policy. I’ll be 65 soon, and Medicare tells me I don’t have to enroll in Part B as long as I continue to work for that company. On the other...
View ArticleDo I have to cancel employer’s policy to use Tricare for Life?
I will turn 65 later this year and become eligible for Medicare and Tricare for Life. I have another health insurance policy through my employer. I’ve heard that I have to cancel the other policy to...
View ArticleWhat benefits can retiree’s new wife get?
I am a retired Marine. If I get married, is my new wife eligible for Tricare for Life if I enroll her in DEERS? What medical benefits will she get? If you are entitled to receive retired pay, you are...
View ArticleCan veteran dump inferior plan and go with Tricare instead?
I have a friend who is an aging, retired Army colonel. After his long military service, he worked in the legal department of an insurance company from which he is also now retired – with truly lousy...
View ArticleWhat if I’m still working when I become eligible for Tricare for Life?
I will become eligible for Medicare in November. But I will continue to work past my 65th birthday, not drawing Social Security until age 66. How do I go about paying for my Part B Medicare? You have...
View ArticleIf I remarry after wife’s death, will new spouse have same benefits?
I am medically retired from the Army because of combat disabilities. My wife of over 50 years just died. I am thinking of getting married again and wonder if she will have the same Tricare benefits my...
View ArticleTricare for Life, Prime or Plus: Which is best for us?
My wife, who is not eligible for Medicare part A, turned 65 last November. When I retired in 1995 we opted for Tricare Prime. We got a letter from DEERS prior to her birthday informing us of the...
View ArticleCan my friend get Tricare for Life if he’s never used Tricare before?
I have a good friend who is retired military, but I recently found out that he has not been covered by Tricare all these years; he has used his company’s health insurance. Now, he is about to turn 65...
View ArticleWhen do I need to sign up for Medicare?
I’m retired and enrolled in Tricare Prime. I will be turning 65 in March. I’m not eligible for full Social Security, though, until I turn 66. When is the latest I have to sign up for Medicare without...
View ArticleCan wife, over 65 but ineligible for Medicare, be put on Tricare Prime?
I am retired from the Navy. I am under 60 years old and enrolled and paying for Tricare Prime for myself. My wife is over 65 and enrolled in Medicare but was denied Medicare benefits due to not having...
View ArticleIf I’m still working at 65, can I keep Tricare Prime?
I am a widowed dependent who will turn 65 in October, and I am on Tricare Prime. I do not plan to retire in October but plan to work until I am 67. Will I continue with Tricare Prime until I retire in...
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