4 easy tips to reduce your Tricare costs

LisaDecember 14, 2018

This post is sponsored by 1 Natural Way. All opinions are my own.

Mac and I will celebrate our seventh anniversary this weekend. Like many military newlyweds, we decided to enroll me in Tricare after we got married. I had health insurance through my employer at the time, but Tricare offered the same coverage at a more competitive price. It also allowed me to keep the same medical insurance every time we moved without having to worry about what insurance plans my new employer offered. Even though I’ve had Tricare for seven years, I’m still learning about the different programs and partnerships that really allow you to reduce out-of-pocket costs and save money.

Pick the best plan for you

Tricare, like many other insurance companies, offers different tiers of coverage. After doing some research, I chose Tricare Prime. Tricare Prime has very few associated out-of-pockets costs. But the catch is that you can’t pick your medical providers. Tricare assigns you a primary care provider when you move to a new duty station. And you have to request a referral for basically any medical issue that can’t be handled by your primary care provider. I needed referrals to begin my allergy shot regimen and to have wrist surgery. If you enroll in a Tricare Standard program, you may have co-pays after doctor’s visits. Do your research and pick the Tricare coverage the offers your family the best coverage at the best price. Also be sure to review your coverage if your family changes or grows.

Research your options for additional coverage

Tricare doesn’t include vision or dental coverage for family members. Several Tricare plans include standard eye exams, but glasses, lenses, frames, or contacts aren’t included. They do coordinate policies for vision and dental coverage if you want to add that on. I have my dental insurance through a Tricare partner.

Understand your coverage

Learning what insurance policies cover is like learning Greek (says the person who took Greek for fun in college). You have to sort through the legalese and medicalese to figure out what your insurance company will actually pay for. I think that Tricare’s website is pretty easy to use and gives you pretty straightforward explanations of your coverage.

Make sure you know what your policy covers or doesn’t cover to make sure you aren’t paying for what your insurance may cover. Do you have co-pays? Do you have to pay for prescriptions? What’s the difference between in-network and out-of-network costs for medical care? Understanding your policy will help you avoid paying too much for services that are covered.

Use your insurance to reduce out-of-pocket costs

Y’all, I paid for Allegra for seven (SEVEN) years because I didn’t know that I could get a prescription for it. I now have a scrip and get it for free. Anyone who has kids knows that they can be expensive, so using your insurance to cover supplies you may need will definitely reduce your out-of-pocket costs. 1 Natural Way offers breast pumps for military families that are covered by Tricare. If you are interested in finding out what Tricare will pay for, you can enter your contact and insurance policy information on 1 Natural Way’s website, and they let you know what pumps your policy covers. It’s really that easy.

Once you find out what pumps are covered, you can do some research to see which pump is best for you. 1 Natural Way also offers several upgraded options that include bags or additional parts if those are more your style. Tricare does need a prescription to cover the pump, so 1 Natural Way works with your medical team to get your pump prescription for you. They then ship your pump directly to your door once they have the scrip. You can also enroll in a resupply program or purchase additional pump supplies through 1 Natural Way. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about breast pumps, but the brands available on their site are very reputable and have good reviews.

Once the baby arrives, you can also reach a lactation consultant by phone, email, or video chat. This is great if you’re trying out your pump for the first time and need some guidance or just have questions about how pumping works.