Retired Military, Tricare, and RV-living?

[bowersrd]

I am a retired Marine and am now traveling in multiple states in my RV. My wife and I are Tricare Prime (West Region) and we tend to spend more time in East rather than West. Healthcare has been a real problem, since we cannot use East services, only west region. We either have to go back to our Prime Physician or pay out of pocket. I am wondering what other retired military use for Tricare. Do you use Prime or Select and how do you handle your healthcare needs, such as physicals and medications. As Prime, the only service we are allowed to use while in East region is the Urgent Care twice per year, but they are extremely limited on what they can do. No physicals, blood tests, medications, etc. I cannot have my Ambian sleeping pills prescribed by my doctor in Denver while using a Walmart Pharmacy out of state. I can have non-opioids prescribed and filled, such as cholesterol drugs, blood pressure meds, etc. I am thinking about switching to Tricare Select, allowing me to submit claims from local providers wherever I am at. Or I can transfer to East region and reduce a portion of the headaches, but that still requires me to transfer to a Prime Physician in East region. Would like to hear from any retired military on how they handle Tricare while traveling extensively.

 

[Kcmusa]

I am new to tricare and have not thought about or researched this, hoping others have an answer.

 

[Retired]

If you have a written script you can have it filled on a military base pharmacy. We use xpresscripts and leave home with a 90 day supply. My wife has a couple brand name meds that xpresscripts will not fill, we use the bases for those. 3-5 day lead time usually.

 

[bowersrd]

If you have a written script you can have it filled on a military base pharmacy. We use xpresscripts and leave home with a 90 day supply. My wife has a couple brand name meds that xpresscripts will not fill, we use the bases for those. 3-5 day lead time usually.

Good to know. Thank you

 

[Neemer]

I don’t have any great advice for you, but I wish you luck, Devildog. In another six months, I’ll be transitioning from Tricare to Medicare and I have no idea what lies ahead with that.

 

[BGMAC]

I don’t have any great advice for you, but I wish you luck, Devildog. In another six months, I’ll be transitioning from Tricare to Medicare and I have no idea what lies ahead with that.

I just went from Tricare to Medicare last year. It is quite easy and less of a hassle when picking doctors.
Tricare will be your secondary to pickup what Medicare does not. I've had actually a better experience with the Medicare/Tricare then with just the Tricare.

 

[Julie and Joel]

I am a retired Marine and am now traveling in multiple states in my RV. My wife and I are Tricare Prime (West Region) and we tend to spend more time in East rather than West. Healthcare has been a real problem, since we cannot use East services, only west region. We either have to go back to our Prime Physician or pay out of pocket. I am wondering what other retired military use for Tricare. Do you use Prime or Select and how do you handle your healthcare needs, such as physicals and medications. As Prime, the only service we are allowed to use while in East region is the Urgent Care twice per year, but they are extremely limited on what they can do. No physicals, blood tests, medications, etc. I cannot have my Ambian sleeping pills prescribed by my doctor in Denver while using a Walmart Pharmacy out of state. I can have non-opioids prescribed and filled, such as cholesterol drugs, blood pressure meds, etc. I am thinking about switching to Tricare Select, allowing me to submit claims from local providers wherever I am at. Or I can transfer to East region and reduce a portion of the headaches, but that still requires me to transfer to a Prime Physician in East region. Would like to hear from any retired military on how they handle Tricare while traveling extensively.

We have tricare west as well. We winter over in the in Arkansas which is East. We use Urgent Care facilities with no issue with tricare paying. We just pay the co-pay. If we need a referral for a specialist we just contact our primary care physician and ask for a out of region referral. No problems in 4 years of full timing.

 

[bowersrd]

I didn't know about the Out of Region referral. Thank you for the information. Definitely helps.

 

[Skipper N Martha Bishop]

I'm retired Army and my wife and I have Tricare for life and Medicare. Medicare is first pay so we can use ours any place that excepts Medicare.

 

[SaltyVetAdventures]

We have tricare west as well. We winter over in the in Arkansas which is East. We use Urgent Care facilities with no issue with tricare paying. We just pay the co-pay. If we need a referral for a specialist we just contact our primary care physician and ask for a out of region referral. No problems in 4 years of full timing.

This is great to know. For when I am traveling. Thanks.