Thanks, Chuck and Dee. I think I know enough now to at least be familiar with the process. I guess its about time to get a new ID card, the pic on mine must be 20 years old :)

Is there a yearly fee for Tricare for Life in addition to part B fee ? I have to do something next year. Also I get free care from VA do I have to use part B and tricare for life ?

Dave -

There is no annual fee for TFL (only the part B Medicare premiums that are deducted from your Social Security). You MUST sign up for Part B Medicare in order to be enrolled in TFL.

Regarding VA care - nothing to do with Medicare or TFL (totally separate). If you get free VA care you can choose to use that, but you can also use any other medical provider, in which case Medicare would be the PRIMARY (first) payer at 80% - TFL would be SECONDARY (second) payer at the remaining 20%.

Hope this is helpful.

Irv

Thanks for info, sounds like medicare and TFL is the way to go, even though VA is free have to wait 2-3 weeks for appointment, at least for now. will see how it goes, thanks again

Dave -

Some of the best things about Medicare/TFL is:
1) You get to choose a Primary Care Physician
2) In "nearly all" instances, you can see a specialist without a referral from your PCP
3) You can almost always get a second opinion for more significant concerns

Best to you.............Irv