Medicare?

I know, I know another medicare/tricare Q? And MC and TFL are everywhere --

Let's assume for a minute that I get most of my medical services through the VA hospital. And, I'm also retired eligible and have used Tricare sometimes, but not alot.

SO, what benefit is it to me to have Medicare/Tricare, and to pay the $96 a month for Pt B if I use the VA clinic and am pretty happy with my doctor? And can get all my medications, blood work, tests, etc. at VA anyway.

And another part of this question is - do I need Tricare For Life and still pay the $96 -- I'm wondering what more I get with this Medicare/TFL and Pt B that I don't get now. Because I'm a DAV too, so can ge all services at VA if I want to -- I might not want to do that, but wonder how much the $1200 a year actually gets me. And as I look at the premiums page, it seems like there are lots of co-pay amounts that would add to the actual yearly medical if you use any of them.

And on the other side, I'm a service connected disabled veteran on the permanent disabled retired list with full Veterans Benefits that I have not used since 1995. When I retired from the Navy I was uninsureable and used VA until I was able to pick-up Mail Handlers insurance while employed by DoD. When I retired from NADEP JAX we went full time RVing and from then on I have only used MEDICARE & TRICARE for life because that combination allows me to go just about anywhere for care with no out of pocket expense except for the MEDICARE monthly fee. I get all my prescription medications from military pharmacies unless they do not carry it then I use scripts mail-in services. My wife and I both have to regularly see medical specialists but have never had a problem finding one that will accept the MEDICARE/TRICARE combination.

FastEagle

p.s. While regularly moving around the country in an RV life style you may not always be within range of a VA clinic when the need of medical treatment arises. Emergence conditions must be reported within 24 hours and are not always going to be covered.

As I read further in the Medicare/TFL pages, it now seems to me that Tricare picks up the co-pays as a secondary insurer. I originally thought it replaced Medicare, and the co-pays remained the same as now with Tricare Standard. And so, for the extra monthly $$$ what you get is service all over the country, and in addition, the co-pays are non-existant for the most part.

Is that accurate??

And, yes - far as the prescriptions, either go to MTF pharmacy, or mail-in. Now, my mail-scripts come from VA -- and I can continue that no matter where I am, except the wait for the mail to arrive is an issue, but not a big deal.

I have been on TCL since started,only out of pocket expense was $162 for a test that medicare didn't cover. I can pick my own doctor. Drugs, I use the base most of the time which is free. There is no paper work, I am covered anywhere I happen to be.

While we are on the subject. We have Tricare Prime, which costs us a small amount compared to the FED Blue Cross we had. Will we still pay the yearly fee to Tricare? We also are patients at Kimbrough Military Community hospital, would we still be able to use our doctors there, or will we have to find new ones?

Chief's Wife,

If I understand Tricare Prime correctly, you can no longer keep it when you turn 65. You must convert to Medicare/TFL. I am also on Prime but my wife has private insurance through her job. I've been looking at our options when she retires (early 2010). She likes her current doctor and thinks she wants to do standard Tricare. I like Prime, but I think I'll be forced out at 65.

Maybe someone with more knowledge can verify the "65 and out of Prime" statement.