Military retirees and their family members have a few different options available for healthcare while traveling full-time. In this article we’ll share information on the most common including utilizing Tricare, the VA, and Medicare.

Health Care is one area where you can be thankful for the benefits you receive as a retired military member. When we speak at RV shows, we hear about couples paying well over $1000 a month for health care and others that go without because they simply cannot afford it. The premiums for most civilian health care plans make the cost of Tricare Prime seem very minuscule.

Tricare

All military retirees and their family members can use their Tricare health benefits by choosing Tricare Prime or Tricare Select. We’ll briefly explain how each affects full-time travelers.

We initially enrolled in Tricare Prime the first year after I retired. We set-up a primary care manager in Washington D.C. at the National Military Medical Center. Since we had two kids in D.C. at the time, we figured it would be a place we would frequently visit and would be able to get the care we needed while in the area.

However, we quickly learned that there are a few issues with using Tricare Prime as full-time traveler. The main concern we hear about is having to get a referral for any care not with the primary care manager. For emergencies, it is pretty easy, but for routine or non-emergent care, it can get tough getting the authorization especially if you are in a location that makes it impossible for you to see the primary care manager first and are outside of the contractor’s region. 

Most travelers we know use Tricare Select, formerly called Tricare Standard, when full-time traveling. It does not require primary care manager authorization to seek care and allows the user to see any Tricare authorized provider, network or non-network, but there is some expense that goes along with it in terms of co-pays and deductibles.

A benefit for full-time travelers is that you can see any Tricare-authorized provider. You can do this on the Tricare website.

Tricare Young Adult is a program for adult children up to age 26 are not enrolled in school and do not have healthcare through their job. This also has a prime and select option with associated fees. We have a son in San Antonio who uses the Prime option and his payment is around $350 per month. If you are going to pay this for your children while they are on it, make sure to consider that in your budget. Or, you can make them pay for it themselves!

Medicare and Tricare for Life

If you or your spouse is of Medicare age, that throws in a bunch of other options that will need to be considered. You qualify for Tricare for Life that works with your Medicare benefits.

Start Planning Now

The best recommendation we can give is to sit down with someone at the local Tricare office within the medical treatment facility and discuss your plan of traveling and have them explain your options. They are up to date on the latest rules and regulations and will be able to give you the best advice for your situation.

Tricare seems to be a dynamic program that changes slightly every year. It is important to stay on top of the changes to make sure you do not let something fall through the cracks. Although this medical insurance for retired military veterans is not free, it is A LOT less expensive than many others. The years of sacrifice have left us with this great benefit, but keeping it from lapsing requires some effort on our part. Make sure you take health care planning seriously to prevent any problems when an emergency occurs.

VA Benefits

Some retired military members are eligible to receive healthcare at VA facilities. For example, veterans with a service connected disability can be seen for that condition at no cost. However, if your overall rating is 50% or greater, you can use the VA for all of your healthcare, except dental care. As of this writing, you have to be 100% rated to get dental care at the VA.

There are also various rules associated with using the VA depending on your rating. It is better to get informed on all the rules that apply to your situation when you receive your rating.

The other nice thing about the VA is they have the Traveling Veteran Program. This allows you to keep a primary care manager at one location, but access the VAs in the area you will be traveling to. As an example, Julie fell and broke her foot and dislocated her toe in Oklahoma City. She was treated at the VA Hospital Emergency Room there and her follow up care was at the San Antonio, TX VA Hospital. All while our primary care manager is in Tampa, Florida. She broke her foot in Oklahoma City, where it was taken care of by the local VA emergency room. She then did her follow-up appointments at the San Antonio VA facility. It was very easy.

We have received care at numerous VA clinics and hospitals in six states and have never had to wait long for appointments. In addition, we’ve always felt that we received quality care.

Get Started Before You Retire

If you are not yet retired, you can get started on your VA claim within 6 months of retiring is to file with the VA to see what, if any, disability rating you are eligible to receive. Even if you think you will not get any rating, file anyway. It is worth the time to go through the process.

The process is not just for a current rating, but it is also a way to document your medical problems with the VA in the event that some conditions develop or get worse in the future. We run in to a lot of veterans, retired and not, who never took this step. In our opinion, it is much easier to get this done early rather than wait until you actually have a problem. There will be multiple appointments associated with the filing. It is better to get them done all in the same location to avoid paperwork getting transferred and possibly lost.

I filed right at the 180-day point before my retirement and I was able to have all of the appointments completed before my terminal leave even began. I received my rating within a couple of months of my actual retirement date. Julie did not file until after her retirement date and it took her about a year to go through the process. So, it varies and it is better to get a jump on it to not delay your RV travel date.

Many military treatment facilities have a person that can assist with filing the VA claim and some have Veteran Service Organization officers that can file on your behalf. If not, call the local VA and find out how to start the process and what VSOs are located on-site. Again, do not wait until you are on the road or are seriously ill. Get the process completed as soon as possible. The VA is still a bureaucracy, so the process takes time.

We both get our care at the VA since we are both rated at over 50%.  We really like the VA, so far, and actually prefer it to going to the military medical treatment facilities.

Did you know the military operates campgrounds on many of its bases? They are an affordable option for your travels around the United States if you are an eligible patron. Situated in some of the most picturesque vacation destinations, military campgrounds and the bases they reside on offer numerous amenities. And they are usually a great value! Read this guide to learn more about how to take advantage of this terrific benefit!

Who is Eligible? 

The military has a large system of campgrounds and recreation areas. But who can use them?

Although bases tend to have their own specific rules on this, in general, to use a military campground you must be an active duty service member, National Guard or Reservist, military retiree, or 100-percent service-connected disabled veteran. Surviving family members of service members killed in action who have access to other benefits like healthcare and medical retirees and their families also typically qualify.

New as of Jan 1, 2020: Under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, all veterans with a service-connected disability rating (between 0-90 percent) can now use the base exchanges, commissaries, and many MWR facilities INCLUDING campgrounds! Read this article for instructions on how to access the base if you fall under this new access category. 

If you want to look up the official DOD policy, it is DOD Instruction 1015.10, enclosure 3 which details the Authorized Patronage of Military MWR Programs. But it is important to note that each service has written its own regulation. There’s also a common saying in the military, “There’s a waiver for everything,” which basically means each base can do what they want.

In our travels so far we’ve come across one military campground, the Grassy Pond Recreation Area managed by Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, GA that even allowed non-military affiliated civilians to stay.

Your best bet is to check well ahead of your planned visit to verify specific eligibility rules.

Where Can I Find Them?

Our favorite resource for finding military campgrounds is a free website, militarycampgrounds.us. This privately run website has a map feature that allows you to see where there are military campgrounds. Then it provides detailed information and reviews (with photos and often videos) of each campground.

You can maneuver around the site as a guest, or sign up to get a log in and post your own reviews. We try to review every campground we stay at, and I’ve noticed many others do too.

Are They Any Good?

Military campgrounds range in size and quality, just as civilian campgrounds do. Our recommendation is to read the reviews mentioned above, not just looking at the number of stars, but to see if the writer cares about the same amenities as you do.

Many military campgrounds are big rig friendly with full hookups, but there are older ones that only have partial hook-ups. Some even have overflow or primitive camping areas with no hookups. Most are located on the base, which offers normal amenities like swimming pools, commissaries, and fitness centers. However, some, like the Blue Angel RV Park are off-base and have their own activities like kayak rentals, sailboat lessons, paintball, and mini-golf.

Can I Make Reservations? 

Many base campgrounds take reservations which really makes planning simpler. This is especially helpful in locations that are in touristy spots. For example, Florida is a high-demand area in the winter. MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL takes reservations one year in advance and manages a very large (100+) waiting list. On the other hand, Patrick Air Force Base near Cocoa Beach is first come, first served.

The Navy even has an online reservation system, http://ngis.dodlodging.net. NGIS stands for Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, but many Navy campgrounds allow reservations on the site. We’ve used it successfully for a couple of Navy campgrounds in Florida, and one in Tennessee. The only thing we don’t like about the system is that you have to type specific dates and see if anything is available. If not, you change your dates and try again. There is no feature to see the next open available date like the National Parks system.

What If I Don’t Have An RV?

I love that many military bases even rent travel trailers and tents!

Offerings may include trailers that remain in place at the base campground for you to enjoy with your family. Other bases have travel trailers you can rent to behind your vehicle to travel.

Finally, most military campgrounds offer tent campsites and you can rent the tent too! 

Other Important Tips

Verify Base Access

Due to heightened security requirements, many bases/posts only allow RVs and trailers to enter via commercial vehicle gates. These are often closed after hours and on weekends. We’ve been to a few that have required us to contact base security to meet us at the gate. Always check with the campground during duty hours for specific instructions on base access.

Pay A Visit To The Outdoor Recreation Office

Outdoor Recreation programs vary by location, but most have rental equipment like kayaks and bicycles. Some even run a marina with rental boats and certification courses. Many also have trips & tours to local attractions. No matter what your plans are, it is always a good place to start before you go out exploring the local area!

Check Out Discounts at the Base Information, Ticket, and Tours Center

Whenever we move to a new base, we always check out the Information, Tickets, and Tours (ITT) office. This is where you can get special military discount tickets for a variety of local attractions. There is an ITT office on most military bases and even many satellite locations.

The ITT office also has tons of brochures, highlighting lesser-known local events alongside the major attractions. It’s a great way to get to know the area around the base and discover a new part of the country.

Military Campground Reviews

We always read the reviews on the free website, militarycampgrounds.us while planning our trips.  We also make a video of all the campgrounds we stay at. You can view them below.

FLORIDA

NEVADA

TENNESSE

TEXAS

VIRGINIA

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