adding on to the insurance thread

Simplysomething · Jun 4, 2007

So, I want to see who has insurance because they (or their spouses) are military OR live in a country like Canada...

I ask that only people who already responded to the other poll respond here. OK?

Thanks. lol

Lys · Jun 4, 2007

We have insurance because DH is in the military.

mommycat · Jun 4, 2007

Oops, I should have read before I voted - I did not respond to the other poll because I didn't think it really applied...

Kellyr2 · Jun 4, 2007

Military here.

lynsgirl · Jun 4, 2007

Military family here

.

Jewels · Jun 4, 2007

I voted Yes because I live in Canada but we also have extended medical benefits through DH's work that covers 80% for things that aren't covered. This includeds any antibiotics that we need our medical pays 80% of what it would cost and we pay the dispensing fee and 20%, chiropratic care, message therepy, covers 80% of dental visits and work along with the eye exam (does not cover anything for contact lenses or glasses). This also provides us with medical benefits if we leave our country so if we go to the US then we do not need to buy/get extra medical to be covered while we are there.

I also voted in SPB's poll that I had medical through my spouses work as I figured that covered our extended medical.

joolsplus3 · Jun 4, 2007

Retired military counts, right? We just got our COBRA bill and it is our ENTIRE unemployment payment per month. So we'll just be using Tricare, thankyouverymuch...sigh.

spokaneCPST · Jun 4, 2007

We are military, soon to be retired. We use Tricare Standard/Extra and will continue to use that for awhile. My husband has a job, but its a contract position right now with no benefits. Once it turns permanent, Tricare will become the 2nd payer to whatever his new insurance is.
Renee

LuvBug · Jun 4, 2007

darn, you excluded me again

smurf · Jun 4, 2007

We have "free" medical coverage (as do all Canadians) as well as a drug plan (mandatory in Quebec) but no extras (dental, para-medical, etc). I really like Canadian medicare (mind you, I have no experience with any other system) but it's starting to fray around the edges, IMO.

broken4u05 · Jun 4, 2007

i still do not fit. I am on my mom's but i guess i am just young. Also the guy i love (more than best friends but not offical) will be military soon so maybe one day that will be the reason

UlrikeDG · Jun 4, 2007

Hubby works full time for the National Guard, but his pay and benefits are as a "civilian", even though he wears a uniform to work and goes by his rank.

When a position becomes available, he wants to transfer to an active duty position (better pay!), at which time we'll be back on military benefits.

When we were overseas, we switched from Tricare Prime (everything covered 100%, but must receive care on base unless you have permission to do otherwise) to Tricare Standard (high co-pay and deductible, but free to choose any doctor we wanted)), because we were so incredibly displeased with the care on base.

They never made any effort to help you get an appointment if you didn't know to ask them to check for openings in the other clinics (e.g., if you were calling about your child, they would check peds only and not family practice). They really weren't equipped to handle kids, beyond vaccination and acute illness. For example, they didn't have any crutches for kids, and everyone we met could tell that Roman got the cast for his broken leg on base, because it was so ugly (just poorly done). Hubby had a horrible, spreading rash at one point, and the ER doctor told him he needed to see dermatology ASAP, but dermatology refused to see him for a full 28 days after that! Hubby also had an outpatient procedure botched three times(!) at the Heidelberg hospital before they finally referred him to Landstuhl, where they got it right the first time and had actually seen him and completed the thing before his scheduled appointment (we got there a little early)!

So, yeah, not so impressed with Tricare. :thumbsdown:

lynsgirl · Jun 4, 2007

UlrikeDG said:
When we were overseas, we switched from Tricare Prime (everything covered 100%, but must receive care on base unless you have permission to do otherwise) to Tricare Standard (high co-pay and deductible, but free to choose any doctor we wanted)), because we were so incredibly displeased with the care on base.

They never made any effort to help you get an appointment if you didn't know to ask them to check for openings in the other clinics (e.g., if you were calling about your child, they would check peds only and not family practice). They really weren't equipped to handle kids, beyond vaccination and acute illness. For example, they didn't have any crutches for kids, and everyone we met could tell that Roman got the cast for his broken leg on base, because it was so ugly (just poorly done). Hubby had a horrible, spreading rash at one point, and the ER doctor told him he needed to see dermatology ASAP, but dermatology refused to see him for a full 28 days after that! Hubby also had an outpatient procedure botched three times(!) at the Heidelberg hospital before they finally referred him to Landstuhl, where they got it right the first time and had actually seen him and completed the thing before his scheduled appointment (we got there a little early)!

So, yeah, not so impressed with Tricare. :thumbsdown:

:yeahthat: Well, that and the fact that at least 80% of the time I've ever brought my kids into a base clinic, I've gotten yelled at or rudely berated for something, usually nothing that was of any consequence (like leaving a sweating 1yo in her diaper to walk down the hall in the 90 degree building instead of putting all her clothes back on - my freaking gosh, she could've died of hypothermia right there

). At this point, I so rarely go to the clinic that when I do go, I grit my teeth and just expect a less than stellar experience. I had to take ds3 in for a referral appt a couple of weeks ago and when I called the military hospital the next day, you *know* I was extremely bummed that they had to send me out to a civilian, due to no-availability

.

Ds2 was born at the naval hospital and so help me, I aim to never, ever repeat that experience again. Because of it, I started looking at my options, which ultimately led to ds3 being born at home (on purpose

). I'll stop now, but unless there's something that would fall under "catastrophic," we pay for our own health care, if you consider we're paying for organic, natural supplements, herbs, essential oils, chiropractic care, prenatal care, etc.

UlrikeDG · Jun 4, 2007

lynsgirl said:
Ds2 was born at the naval hospital and so help me, I aim to never, ever repeat that experience again. Because of it, I started looking at my options, which ultimately led to ds3 being born at home (on purpose ).

The one good thing about Tricare Prime: they covered my homebirth 100%, even though I didn't get prior approval. BCBS will probably only cover about half this time around, and maybe not even that, as my MW says she's been having trouble with BCBS since the beginning of the year.

mommycat · Jun 5, 2007

Jewels said:
I voted Yes because I live in Canada but we also have extended medical benefits through DH's work that covers 80% for things that aren't covered. This includeds any antibiotics that we need our medical pays 80% of what it would cost and we pay the dispensing fee and 20%, chiropratic care, message therepy, covers 80% of dental visits and work along with the eye exam (does not cover anything for contact lenses or glasses). This also provides us with medical benefits if we leave our country so if we go to the US then we do not need to buy/get extra medical to be covered while we are there.

I also voted in SPB's poll that I had medical through my spouses work as I figured that covered our extended medical.

Actually this is us as well, slightly different benefit setup though. DH has his work coverage and I have mine, he and the kid(s) can also claim on mine. (I am sure that we could use his as well but mine is better and his goes inactive at times if he isn't working for a long time - it's through the union).

lynsgirl · Jun 5, 2007

UlrikeDG said:
The one good thing about Tricare Prime: they covered my homebirth 100%, even though I didn't get prior approval. BCBS will probably only cover about half this time around, and maybe not even that, as my MW says she's been having trouble with BCBS since the beginning of the year.

Ok, do tell how you managed to get them to do that! I ended up switching to Standard so I could go out of network for my whopping 2 doctor visits. They paid for those and the Rx the MW wanted on hand. That's it. The reason I switched to Standard while I was pg was because my MW had another client who was on Prime and at 32 weeks was *still* waiting for her OB referral.

Because I'm hoping for another baby eventually, I would love to be able to have Tricare cover even part of a homebirth and 100% would be sweet!

ckscruz · Jun 5, 2007

My DH is active duty Navy so we have Tricare. I am very surprised to hear so many people have problems with it. I have had Tricare in some form for 13 years ( I was active duty before). All three of my children were born at a Naval hospital. I had great care each time. My son takes growth hormone. This medication costs around $20000 a year, I only pay $9 a month ( not to mention all his asthma meds I get from the base pharmacy for free). Last year he was hospitalized for a staph infection in his hip muscle and in his blood. It was such a relief knowing that every thing was covered, from the week long stay to all the tests and the home health nurse.

When we lived in Guam we were taken care of by Air Force doctors, they were great too. My son was diagnosed as a baby as "failure to thrive" They sent us to Tripler Army Hospital for 3 weeks , all expenses paid.

I never have problems getting referrals for my children to see the required specialist. With all three kids the hospitals were very pro breastfeeding, respected me when I asked for them not to be vaccinated for hep B at 1 hour old, never questioned my decision to not circ my son.

The only person in my family who would complain about their care at a military hospital would be my DH. He has had some bad experiences. The crazy thing is the Drs were civilian.

I have had some billing frustrations in the past, and it does take some time to learn when you need pre-authorization, but free Tricare is better than uninsured any day of the week!:twocents:

UlrikeDG · Jun 5, 2007

We just submitted the paperwork and waited. We were prepared to pay out of pocket if it didn't go through, but it did. Hubby got called in and chewed out for not jumping through their hoops in advance, but we had heard that it was pretty hard to get approval in advance, so we didn't. A friend of mine did the same thing 3 months before us, and didn't have any trouble. Her husband didn't even get the lecture. Oh, and they said they "flagged" our file and wouldn't pay if we did it again.

UlrikeDG · Jun 5, 2007

It certainly depends on where you're stationed. My big issue was with the Heidelberg hospital, and the fact that we needed permission from said hospital to get care elsewhere. A friend of mine had trouble at Ft. Lewis, as well.

The doctors on base in Heidelberg flat out refused to help any mother who was breastfeeding a baby with food allergies until the baby had been on an aminoacid based formula for 2 weeks (not following "best practice!!!"). To top it off, the formula cost over $1000/month, and Tricare refused to pay for it, even though it was a prescription formula.

I'm used to the high standard of care here in Iowa. If you call with a serious problem, your doctor will "squeeze you in". If your doctor can't see you, the office staff make an effort to find someone who can. There are no quotas on the number of referals doctors are "allowed" to make each week. The doctors don't have superiority complexes simply because they (literally) outrank you (or your spouse). If you get a sucky doctor, you switch! And, if you get a good doctor, you don't have to worry about him PCSing in the next 6 months.

"Free" 100% coverage is only good if you can actually see a doctor when you need to. That wasn't the case in Heidelberg.

ckscruz · Jun 5, 2007

Your situation is so uncalled for! I guess I have totally lucked out. I call my DS Dr for a referral and I get it submitted with in 2 days and have the paperwork within a week.

His Dr even got pediasure prescribed for him payed for by tricare. My son is not on a feeding tube so I have no idea how he pulled that one!

I have never had some one try to pull the "I out rank you " cr*p, but I have heard that from others.

Perhaps Tricare has their stuff together in some regions and not others?

My DH has been in 19 years and will most likely do 26-30 years so I hope my lucky streak continues!

adding on to the insurance thread

Do you have health insurance due to the military or live in a country with universal healthcare (nat

We have insurance because we are military

We have insurance because we live in a country that has healthcare

We have insurance in the US...(for all the reasons southpaw listed. lol)

We don't have insurance in the US.

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