Department of Defense Health Care Benefits

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) provides health care coverage to its members through its own facilities, military facilities, and private health care providers, although the cost of the care may vary depending upon the recipient and the location of the services provided.

Department of Defense Health Care System and Military Facilities

When space is available in DOD facilities, the DOD may provide service retirees with care in those facilities. The DOD may also choose to provide care to retirees in military facilities, again if space and resources are available to do so. However, when space or resources are not available, the DOD pays most of the cost of privately obtained care through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS).

TRICARE for Life

Until fairly recently, military retirees at least 65 years old received their sole health care benefits through Medicare. However, in 2001, a new law granted retirees who were enrolled in Medicare Part B lifetime rights to health care benefits under TRICARE, as well. For those retirees, Medicare serves as their primary health coverage, and TRICARE serves as a secondary payer, functioning much like a Medigap insurance policy, only without a premium.

Military retirees are eligible for TRICARE for Life if they have at least 20 years of honorable service, are eligible for Medicare Part A, and are enrolled in Part B of Medicare. Former military members retired due to medical disability are also eligible for TRICARE for Life. However, not only are the retirees themselves eligible, so are their dependents, including their spouses, widows and widowers, children, and elderly parents.

Also in 2001, military retirees covered under Medicare Part B became eligible for pharmaceutical coverage under TRICARE's Senior Pharmacy Program (TSPP). TSPP covers the use of military base pharmacies, when available, as well as a national mail order program and a network of retail pharmacies. Both provide low-cost prescription drug service.

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