Military Competes With Medicare Supplement Insurers

The start of TRICARE for Life “represents one of the most sweeping changes to the military health care system in nearly 30 years,” says David Nelson, president of Sierra Military Health Services Inc., Baltimore, a subsidiary of Sierra Health Services Inc., Las Vegas. “It welcomes back to the Department of Defense benefit rolls all those retirees whose care formerly was turned over to Medicare once they reached age 65.”

Sierra alone serves 1 million TRICARE members and may be able to provide TRICARE for Life benefits to as many as 240,000 people, Nelson says.

To be eligible for the TRICARE for Life program, beneficiaries must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Report System, be eligible for Medicare Part A, and be enrolled in Medicare Part B.

Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part B and registered with the eligibility report system do not have to enroll separately to get TRICARE for Life benefits.