Active Duty Servicemembers can't use other medical insurance?

SGT Kristin Wiley you need to keep getting in their asses. Demand a second opinion or get a different PCM. If that doesn't work go to the hospital administration. They all have patient advocates. If that doesn't work go through your CoC and the hospital CoC. It can be a bitch but it does work. I have had to do it myself.

You can't use Tricare AND another health plan as Active Duty. If you are seeing a civilian provider and paying for your own plan, nothing to stop you.

Unfortunately unless you can get a referral downtown there is no other option. I think it has always been that way SGT Kristin Wiley. Hopefully they can get this repealed so folks can seek alternatives.

Yes you have to under Code of Federal Regulations

32 CFR 199.17 (c)(1)

(1) Active duty members. Active duty members are required to enroll in Prime when it is offered. Active duty members shall have first priority for enrollment in Prime. Because active duty members are not CHAMPUS eligible, when active duty members obtain care from civilian providers outside the military medical treatment facility, the supplemental care program and its requirements (including § 199.16) will apply.

When you look for other opinions , you are looking for doctors in your network depending on your type( PPO, HMO, EPO, ACO).Healthcare.gov is a good website to learn about health insurance.

Try going to medical at a different base.

I don't think that's accurate; I believe it's a poorly worded website. I believe that you can use OHI, but that you can't use OHI as your primary health insurance (specifically at military facilities and with network partners). I did a quick search on the web and found a number of network partners that specifically mentioned how they handle claims involving active duty military who have OHI. Here's one website:

https://www.hnfs.com/content/hnfs/home/tn/common/claims/TRICARE_and_OHI.html/pp/content/hnfs/home/tn/bene/auth

"Tricare" is the just the name of "Military Medicine" (insurance). It pays 100%, therefore there is no reason to have "other health insurance" for active duty.

It's not a lack of freedom, it's a pragmatic approach to remove Administrative Problems which could arise from having more than one provider. Since Health Care is a comprehensive benefit you receive as service (Military Medicine), which is "administered" by TriCare all this does is prevent some third party from screwing it up. That's all.

It would be akin to preventing you from having a secondary payroll provider other than the Department of the Treasury, since they handle all our pay. That's it.

Edit: You can get Health Care elsewhere. And Tricare will pay for it. You just can't have other Health Insurance that will compete with the one provided by the Government since it is both redundant & completely unnecessary.

I would say 'No' you cannot? Not sure why you would if you are Active Duty because they are supposed to pay all your medical expenses...unless things have changed that much since I retired?

I think you need to remember there is a difference between care and insurance...or as the Supreme Court likes to refer to it medical tax.

I agree. I didn't realize until I got out on my wife's insurance plan to try and get my knee problems fixed by someone more competent. Only to be told I need to be referred by Tricare. It's an absolute disgrace.