Guest Blogger: Joanna Campione -
The US Family Health Plan will soon be unavailable for some older TRICARE beneficiaries.
Corrected - A line item in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 eliminates the ability to remain in USFHP passed their 65th birthday for those who enroll after August 20, 2012. Meaning that those who enroll after the deadline will have to switch to Medicare and TRICARE for Life at age 65. Those currently enrolled in the program or who enroll before the deadline will be grandfathered in and allowed to retain their USFHP/TRICARE Prime insurance for life.
According to the US Family Health Plan representatives, "the deadline for any eligible person to submit their application for enrollment in the US Family Health Plan is August 20, 2012 if they want to avoid being required to exit the plan when they turn 65." This means that:
- Any eligible persons over age 65 now can submit their applications through August 20.
- Any eligible persons under 65 can submit their applications through August 20 to ensure that when they turn 65, they would be able to stay, since they signed up before the policy change.
For those interested in enrolling before the deadline, the below six programs are still available. The US Family Health Plans include:
- Johns Hopkins Medicine (1-800-801-9322) -- serving Maryland, Washington D.C., and parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia
- Martin's Point Health Care (1-888-241-4556) -- serving Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and northern New York
- Brighton Marine Health Center (1-800-818-8589) -- serving Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, plus Rhode Island and northern Connecticut
- St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers (1-800-241-4848) -- serving parts
of New York, all of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and southern Connecticut - CHRISTUS Health (1-800-678-7347) -- serving southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana
- Pacific Medical Centers (1-888-958-7347) -- serving the Puget Sound area of Washington State.
See more on this story.
