Starting Oct. 1, military retirees and their dependents living more than 40 miles from a military treatment facility or base closure site will be moved from Tricare Prime coverage to Tricare Standard, according to American Forces Press Service.Tricare’s new contracts limit Prime’s areas of coverage to regions within a 40-mile radius of military treatment facilities and in areas affected by the 2005 base closure and realignment process, said S. Dian Lawhon, beneficiary education and support division director.
Prime beneficiaries who see providers outside that 40-mile range can stay on their current plan if they live within 100 miles of an available primary care manager and sign an access waiver, Lawhon said.
Austin Camacho, Tricare’s benefit information and outreach branch chief, said the changes could reduce costs by $45 million to $56 million per year.
He said that figure depends on how many beneficiaries choose to remain on Prime coverage.
Dear sir or maam,
Can you please elaborate on paragraph 3? What is the change if all I have to do is sign a waiver? I am not in the 40 mile radius of an MTF, but I am definitely within a 100 mile range of a PCM. Are the quantity of PCM’s going to be reduced? I have looked at the official Tricare website and several other sites which all are vague.
Thank you,
W. Ritchie (USMC Retired)
Another retirement benefit riped from those of us who service our country without question. Because I live 47 miles from a MTF I lose my Tricare Prime benefit, that is another slap in the face. Why trust the goverment and military will keep their promises and why believe anything the goverment says.