How to Make the Most of Tricare Standard Military Medical Benefits

Those who use Tricare Standard medical benefits know it can be difficult at times to avoid being exploited by civilian medical professionals and institutions. Too often, military families find themselves intimidated by the civilian medical system and the impersonal attention they receive. What they fail to remember is that they are consumers who pay deductibles and share costs to have their families covered by this medical plan. They have a right to demand excellence in their medical care. How can you make the most of those Tricare Standard benefits? Start by thinking like a "consumer."

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Be specific about your expectations. If you can't wait an hour past your appointment time to be seen by a civilian doctor, let the receptionist know how long you are willing to wait. Consider calling the office an hour before your appointment to find out if the doctor is, in fact, on schedule that afternoon. If there will be a lengthy wait, ask how long you should delay your arrival at the office. Most receptionists will be happy to accommodate you.

2. 
    

   Speak up for yourself. When you've already waited far too long and find the doctor is still substantially behind schedule, either re-schedule on the spot or advise the receptionist that you are going to take your family to another doctor. In many cases, you'll be escorted in to see the doctor very quickly when you express your intention to take your business elsewhere.

3. 
    

   Be uncompromising about the treatment you receive once you see the doctor. Request that the diagnosis and treatment plan be explained in simple terms. Expect your needs to be addressed patiently and thoroughly. If the doctor is rushing, insist that he slow down for you to get your questions answered properly. If the nurse isn't courteous, inform the doctor. Be vocal, remembering those in the civilian medical profession are making a profit from your Tricare Standard coverage. After all, if you don't care how you or your children are treated when it comes to receiving medical attention, who will?

4. 
    

   Don't be afraid to use their own civilian medical "chain of command." Yes, they all have one! For every medical worker out there a supervisor hovers in the wings, ready to listen to the complaints of patients. On those few occasions when you can't get a problem resolved with one supervisor, simply keep climbing higher up the chain. If you must resort to taking your issue all the way to the clinic or hospital administrator, chances are that you'll get solid results, pronto.

5. 
    

   Remember that speaking out helps everybody by keeping high standards of care in place. If a doctor, hospital or civilian clinic believes its military clientele doesn't have standards or doesn't care to receive quality care by remaining silent and shrugging off individual responsibility for family medical care, every other family will ultimately pay the price for that tragic indifference. As military families generally living in parts of the country with a high concentration of military personnel, every member of these families has the right to receive the best care possible from civilian medical personnel and facilities. It's your job to see that you get it--if for no other reason than your loved ones in uniform work hard to provide these benefits for you. Consider these points the next time you are out there spending those Tricare Standard bucks, plus your own out-of-pocket dollars in the civilian medical marketplace. You are, after all, a consumer--not merely a beneficiary. That simple fact should make you think twice about the quality of medical care you're receiving.

Resources

• Tricare Management Activity