Yesterday, Military Spouse Magazine asked its Facebook fans and Twitter followers what one thing Tricare should do to improve. As you might expect, they were flooded with responses. Here are some of the most common themes:
- From what I can tell, this was the most popular answer. A lot of respondents wanted more coverage for contacts and glasses. "I just went to the optometrist today and most of the vision health screenings aren't covered, contact fittings aren't covered, and they don't pay for any actual frames/lenses," said Megan Go. "The eye exam is about $80 (here), the frames and lenses can go up to $200-400 for a decent pair. It would be nice to get some coverage for that."
- Although many respondents said they were happy with the dental coverage they get through Tricare, many chimed in to say it was insufficient. "Putting a 1500 cap on Orthodontic work when it costs 6k out of pocket hurts and would hurt anyone," said Miranda Mayo.
- This was a popular answer. "The physical therapy & heavy duty muscle relaxers/pain meds aren't cutting it," said Rebecca Tomes Birtcher.
- Responses here were quite mixed. Plenty of commenters had high praise for the infertility coverage they could access through Tricare, including expectant parents such as Stacey Crate: "I am now pregnant with twins via [in-vitro fertilization] through thecoverage. Our out of pocket costs for over 5 years of treatment was only $4000. Considering the contributions required for private insurance that covers infertility, tricare is very reasonable." But others wished for more help with expensive treatments such as IVF.
- The very first comment, from Sarah Lopez, wished for quicker approval for referrals, and several respondents echoed that sentiment. Melissa Wilcox Watson had a related complaint: "The constant need for referrals when a family member has a chronic disease that won't go away."
- Several commenters agreed with Heather Chapman's complaint. "I personally think they should do away with the policy of making an appointment for just 1 issue at a time. I mean if you have a thyroid issue and need it re-checked and also have a bad case of broncitis, you can only make the appointment for 1 of those issues at a time. It wastes alot of time and resources."
But overall, there was also a lot of love for Tricare in the thread. Many commenters echoed this sentiment by Amanda Tracy: "I would much rather have Tricare than any other insurance." What are your Tricare complaints and compliments?
