TRICARE Management Activity releases the 2006 Tricare rates

Since 12-21-05

From: Waspscpo@aol.com [mailto:Waspscpo@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 7:58 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: TRICARE Management Activity releases the 2006 Tricare rates

 
According to the Dec. 8 issue of Military Update, the Department of Defense has drafted plans to raise TRICARE enrollment fees and deductibles sharply over the next three years for military retirees under age 65 and their families, which would affect about 3 million beneficiaries of the health insurance program. If the changes are adopted, annual enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime, the military's managed-care option, would triple by October 2008 for working-age retired officers (from $230/ $480 to $750/$1500 for individual/families) and double for enlisted retirees ($450/$900 by October 2008).

In addition, yearly deductibles for retirees using TRICARE Standard, the fee- for-service health insurance option, would double for officers and rise by a third for enlisted. Also, for the first time, retirees who use TRICARE Standard would pay an enrollment fee in addition to their deductible.

Co-payments under the TRICARE pharmacy program would be reshaped to discourage purchase of maintenance medicines in the more expensive retail network. The $3 co-payment for generic drugs would rise to $5 in the retail network but would be zero if ordered by mail.

The current $9 co-pay for brand name  drugs would rise to $15 in retail network and $10 by mail. The aim of these initiatives is to slow the projected rise in military healthcare costs by as much as $12 billion over five years and $32 billion through fiscal 2015.

TRICARE Management Activity released the 2006 premium rates for the TRICARE Reserve Select program. The premiums for calendar year 2006 are: $81 for TRS member-only coverage and $253 for TRS member and family coverage. Since TRS premiums are paid in advance, the December 2005 payment will reflect the rate change. For more information, please visit the TRICARE Reserve Select Web site at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect/index.cfm