I would recommend you get a supplement for you and or wife. Tricare standard good for only 75%, prime is 80%. Prime is a HMO so you need prior approval from them if you need care out of area (and in I think if not at your reg location).. tricare folks told me to go standard when I retired IF we planned to travel a lot. Thats all we had and had no issues. We have a home so we use the local base pharmacy to get our meds unless they dont carry then its local or express scripts. Walgreens is out as a tricare affiliate so you would pay all and look for restitution later.
As to using mil facilties most either dont have access for anyone (active or retired) or have no one base facilities for any use. DMAFB is a prime example. get hurt they call 911 take ya to town. Just after I retired I was told by a contract dr at the base to go find a dr in town as I didn't qualify any longer for on base med care. So we did and have never looked back. Our dr kept us even when we went to mediscare with tfl backup. some do some dont. VA here is great but I only use them occasionally, there are many out there that are not so good from friends I know who use the system.
depending on your rank you can get a supplement for about $120/quarter at least that was what had paid. Join one of the vet groups to find good cheap coverage, think mine was thru amer legion, dav or? just dont remember. if you need me to I can try to find the old card and address. It was in Rockville MD as I recall.
