If you are a part of the military, you can benefit from a health care program known as TRICARE. This health insurance program can provide you with free or discounted medical care, depending on your plan and your needs. If you want to make sure that you are covered in every situation, you can even combine it with other types of insurance coverage.
Working With Other Insurance
TRICARE can be a primary form of insurance if you are in the military. At the same time, you can also combine it with other forms of insurance plans, like Medicare or a private health insurance. If you combine the TRICARE coverage with other insurance, TRICARE will take a secondary position to the other type of insurance. Federal law mandates that TRICARE act as the supplemental insurance policy, and will pay only after the first insurance policy has paid.
Supplemental Policies
If you are a member of the military, you may also have access to a number of supplemental health insurance policies which are marketed to military personnel. If you buy one of these policies, you can obtain additional coverage besides what you get through TRICARE. Supplemental insurance policies are not considered to be other health insurance. This means that TRICARE will not take a backseat to this type of insurance, and will still pay first on a claim.
TRICARE Limits
When you work with other health insurance and TRICARE at the same time, your coverage limits with TRICARE do not change. After the primary health insurance has paid its portion of the bill, TRICARE will step in and pay up to the allowable charge for the service incurred. The amount that TRICARE pays is not affected by the fact that the other insurance company has already paid. TRICARE can still pay up to the maximum for that particular service.
Coordinating Benefits
When you have other health insurance besides TRICARE, you must do your best to make sure that the benefits from both health insurance plans are coordinated effectively. When a medical claim is filed, you need to fill out an OHI, or Other Health Insurance, form with TRICARE. You should also tell your health insurance provider that you have TRICARE. This way, both insurance providers can work together to make sure that the majority of the bills are paid for.
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