Does Tri Care for Life work with Medicare Advantage Plans?
Retired Military members receive TriCare for Life to pay the medical costs that Medicare doesn’t cover and also provides prescription drug coverage with Express Scripts. Many TriCare for Life members want additional benefits such as SilverSneakers, dental, vision and hearing, but don’t want to lose their TriCare for Life benefits.
All Medicare members who have Part A and and B, can choose to get their Medicare benefits from a private company (Humana, UnitedHealthcare, etc) with a Part C plan, also called Medicare Advantage.
Humana and Unitedhealthcare both have zero premium Part C plans designed for veterans.
If you have Tricare for Life, you should only enroll in a Part C plan WITHOUT drug coverage, because you already have great drug coverage with Express Scripts.
TriCare for Life stays secondary and still pays your co-pays on a Medicare Part C plan. When researching how Part C plans work with TFL, you will read that you “may” have to files claims yourself. These plans have been out since 2019, and every client that I have ever talked to said that their doctors office bills TFL for copays for them. Tricare for Life is your insurance. All medical billing is digital now, and all they are doing is emailing TFL a bill.
UnitedHealthcare offers the zero premium Patriot Plan which is designed for veterans and TriCare for Life members because it doesn’t include drug coverage (MA only plan) but does include ReNew Active gym membership (similar to SilverSneakers), vision, hearing, dental coverage and a $75-$150 a month credit for your Medicare Part B premium.
Humana USAA Honor plan also has a plan designed for veterans and is available in 47 states. The Humana Honor plan includes SilverSneakers, dental coverage ($2000 year in most states), hearing, vision and a $95-$150 month Medicare Part B credit.
In 2025, most clients will pay $185.00 a month for their Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from your social security benefits. For instance, if the Honor plan in your state had a $100 Part B credit, your Medicare Part B premium would be reduced to $85.00, saving you $1200 a year, per person.
The Humana Honor plan is NOT a HMO, it is a PPO, so it has a network of approved doctors but also allows you to go out of network and see any doctor in the country that accepts Medicare without a referral. You can also get care anywhere in the country. Tricare for Life pays copays in OR out of network.
Nothing is affected with your current Part D drug coverage with Express Scripts because these plans do NOT contain drug coverage.
My name is Steve Schrader, I am an agent for Humana and UnitedHealthcare, and work exclusively with Tricare for Life members, helping them understand these plans. I am licensed in the above green states. Most TFL members are not aware that these plans exist or they have never had someone explain how they work with TFL.
The most effective way to learn about these plans is to give me a call when you are in front of a computer.
I never expect you to make a decision at the end of the phone call.
The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is October 15th- Dec 7th, anyone who enrolls during AEP, the plan becomes effective Jan 1st.
Feel free to call me from 8:00 am – 10:00 pm ET at 303-335-9611.
If you would like me to email you the plan specifics for the plan in your area, click on “Email Me Info“, if you prefer not to provide your phone number, just leave it blank. I do not sell your information to anyone!
For more info, call or email me.
303-335-9611
I do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.com or 1-800-MEDICARE to get all of your options.