There are so many unknowns constantly circulating about TRICARE Select, which is such a bummer because it has deterred military families from exploring it as a valid insurance option. Fortunately, for us, we had a couple of great military spouse advocates that have used Select, loved it, and encouraged us to at least explore it as a legitimate option when choosing plans for ourselves and our kids.
Before we deep dive into Select specifically, if you haven’t checked out our other two posts on TRICARE and TRICARE Prime start there and then come back this way!
What is TRICARE Select?
This is the TRICARE plan that lets you select your providers. Yes, you read that right! You don’t have to go through the referral process that a lot of military families loathe when using TRICARE Prime, you can simply select any provider you want to see and go see them. Please note, that there is a difference between in-network and out-of-network providers with Select. If you use in-network providers your co-pay is cheaper than if you opted to utilize an out-of-network provider. Either way, I have found that what I pay out-of-pocket is still competitive with or cheaper than the civilian insurance I had before getting married.
Who is eligible?
This is pulled directly from the TRICARE website:
- Active duty family members
- Retired service members and their families
- Family members of activated Guard/Reserve members
- Non-activated Guard/Reserve members and their families who qualify
- Retired Guard/Reserve members at age 60 and their families
- Survivors
- Medal of Honor recipients and their families
- Qualified former spouses
What are the biggest pros?
- You get to select your providers – there is a handy little tool on the TRICARE website called “Find a Doctor” that will help you do this
- There is an out-of-pocket cap – meaning they won’t just bleed you with expenses, once you meet your cap, your out-of-pocket costs end for the year
- You don’t have to deal with the referral process
- You have control over things like wait time, modern practice, etc. because if you’re seeing a provider that isn’t meeting your standards you have the ability to move on to someone else who will
What are the biggest cons?
- There are still some out-of-pocket costs you’ll be expected to pay
- More responsibility on you to find your providers when you relocate
I’m pregnant, is Select a good fit?
It depends. Don’t you just hate it when people say that?! But truly, it does. If you’re located in a very urban area with a massive military hospital nearby, Select might not be something you need to pursue specifically for your pregnancy. However, if you’re like Kirst, in a very remote location with no OB care on base, having the option to “shop” for your provider might give you the confidence needed to move forward with your care in the area. Some milsos will even say that being in a very urban area with the big military hospitals around made them choose Select even quicker because they wanted to have a say in who they would be seeing during their pregnancy and likely who would be delivering their child. So really, it’s up to you! If you’re on Prime and love the docs you’ve seen on base/through the referral process, there’s no need to change. If you haven’t had the best experience, definitely pursue Select as an option and see what’s available.
Another thing to consider is if you’re wanting a different delivery experience. Prime will not give you the flexibility to deliver at a birthing center, UNLESS, you have no OB care on base where you are and they support referrals to an area that does. If you aren’t sure what your area has for care and support, ask! Don’t be afraid to call TRICARE and go into your health clinic on base and ask these questions. You can’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and seek out answers, because no one will care as much about your healthcare (or your child’s) as you do!
The biggest concern I get from others with being on Select and having a baby is that it’s going to cost me a fortune out of pocket, which I am HAPPY to tell you isn’t true. First of all, if you’re on Select and choose an in-network provider your cost is going to be lower than if you choose an out-of-network provider, both options are still more affordable (or equally as affordable) than what most civilians are paying for their prenatal and delivery care. Secondly, there is a cap on how much anyone TRICARE family can pay out of pocket on Select. For this fiscal year that cap is $1,000, so at MOST we would be paying $1,000 to have this baby and choose all of our care providers along the way. To me that seems manageable/something we can budget for, yes it’s still a lot of money, but again compared to what civilians are paying to have children, I’ll happily take the freedom of choosing my docs for that price tag.
Note: Kirst paid $0 out of pocket for her delivery with Carmen on TRICARE Select while stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base.
How do I sign-up?
If you haven’t seen our intro post on all things TRICARE, that will have all of your answers. That post does a great job summarizing the enrollment process, linking you to the appropriate websites, and making sure you have everything you need to be squared away in the military’s system to be considered eligible.
