Not here to say that military benefits are inadequate. Just stick with whatever was offered when people signed up to stay on for multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and we’re good.
If you did your homework back in May of 2024, you remember:
“We are committed to keeping all of our military families informed about your health plan, your choices, and ensuring a seamless transition to new contractors,” said Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, director of the DHA.
Source:
TRICARE Newsroom May 15, 2024
Q&A: What To Know as New TRICARE Contracts Begin in 2025
By TRICARE Communications
Original deadline:
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) and the two regional contractors in the East Region and West Region are currently transitioning to these new contracts to ensure health care delivery is ready for all beneficiaries on Jan. 1, 2025.
“…new contracts will improve health care delivery, quality, and access for beneficiaries living in the United States.”
Imagine your USMC Platoon Commander giving you an assignment that needed to be completed by Jan 1st, 2025.
Below is how you handled it.
History of problems in 2025:
TRICARE “…a seamless transition…”
Welcome Home Troops
The TRICARE program has been allowed to crash and burn this year. Sorry about that.
Questions for elected officials:
Any report of TRICARE up and running smoothly in 2025?
Does the new TRICARE contract include penalties for not running smoothly on Jan 1st?
Do they all get paid the same whether customers are happy or not?
What became of enlisted leaders?
It would be good to hear from the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this.
1980s
Taking care of the troops was a big deal at one time. No recruiting crisis. What the hell happened?
Currently serving leadership brought us:
Military Barracks Blasted Over Horrid Living Conditions, Lack of Accountability
MOAA SEPTEMBER 25, 2023
US Armed Forces 2025 Recruiting Crisis Public Relations Release:
Know that extending the deadline for customers to set up payments is not done to for the convenience of The Troops and their families. It’s done because the system has failed to work in 2025. As a last resort, customers call to speak to a human at the understaffed call center. Broken web protocols at TRICARE drive up the number of people who want to call and speak to a human. Months later- tortuous web protocols and long call center wait times are still holding things up?
Tricare Again Extends Deadlines for Beneficiaries in Western US After Contract Change
Military.com | By Patricia Kime
Mar 28, 2025
“The postponement marks the fourth time patients have received a reprieve to update their payment information if they pay TriWest by bank draft or credit card. The original deadline was Dec. 31; it had been extended through Jan. 30 and subsequently Feb. 28 and March 31.”
“Tricare officials said that if beneficiaries don’t update their payment information or any fees before April 30, they will be disenrolled, retroactive to Jan. 1.”
With tardy insurance payments, military families concerned about health care and services
by Abby Ammons Military Families Magazine Mar 26, 2025
“At a recent doctor’s appointment, Army spouse Tessa Brassard was handed a printout explaining that the insurance company TRICARE had not processed payments since Dec. 31, 2024. The letter went on to warn TRICARE patients that they would be placed on a waiting list and additional appointments would only be made after payment had resolved.”
“So it’s either find another office that will take TRICARE, pay out of pocket, or go on base and wait forever,” Brassard said.
“I find this whole thing repulsive,” she continued, after learning that other military families around the country were experiencing similar issues. Two weeks after receiving that letter of warning, Brassard learned she was dropped from another provider as well.
Live in the West Region? Submit Payments to TriWest by April 30 To Avoid Disenrollment
By TRICARE Communications Mar 27, 2025
Waiver, payment deadlines extended for Tricare West Region
By Karen Jowers – Military Times
Mar 27, 2025
“Beneficiaries now have until April 30 to use referral approval waivers and point-of-service waivers and provide payment information to TriWest, the agency announced Thursday. The previous deadline was March 31.”
Months after the first deadline of Jan 1, 2025:
“Officials have extended these deadlines as West Region beneficiaries and health care providers have reported a number of problems with the contract transition from Health Net Federal Services to TriWest.”
Reaction Mode
“TriWest officials have said they’re taking steps to improve their online portals and staffed up their customer call centers to provide more service to beneficiaries and health care providers.”
Ask a recruiter:
“Some families have told Military Times that even with the referral waiver, some specialists won’t see Tricare patients because of various issues they’ve been having.”
Seems a little complicated:
“The extension for setting up payments applies to certain beneficiaries in the West Region who pay fees for their Tricare Prime or Tricare Select plans and those who are enrolled in a premium-based plan, including Tricare Young Adult, Tricare Reserve Select and Tricare Retired Reserve.”
“Defense Health Agency officials, who have extended this deadline several times, warn beneficiaries could be disenrolled from Tricare, retroactive to Jan. 1, if they fail to set up their payments by April 30.”
Pick a decade anytime after the war in Vietnam. No matter what political party or personality is in the White House, Uncle Sam struggles to get veterans health care to work properly. Moms, Dads, Grandparents, and young people have access to this info.
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials and top Pentagon Generals earned it.
From a Jan 14th blog
Elected officials:
Stop kissing veteran ass on Armistice Day and every other chance you get. Stop with the “Thanks for your service” nonsense.
People volunteered to go to far away places and maybe never come back again.
Go to work to smooth out the process they face when they need to call and manage whatever benefits they earned.
Older veterans have influence with kids, grandkids and younger members of the community. Do right by them if you ever hope to dig out of your US Armed Forces recruiting crisis.
This whole thing should be no more tricky to use than an Amazon account.
My TRICARE Concerns:
Make it easy to pay the annual fee.
Allow people to opt in for a mailed statement if requested.
Make a TRICARE account just as easy to use as my local PUD account.
I always want the option to see a written statement.
No money should change hands/go to TRICARE without a written or emailed invoice.
TRICARE does not send out a bill. TRICARE wants you to set up an automatic payroll allotment. No, thank you.
I have been paying bills for decades. I have never used a payroll allotment or a credit card subscription to pay recurring bills-still don’t want to. This ongoing clusterfuck with TRICARE is a very good example of why.
My local PUD mails out a statement each month. I could call them if I need to, but I never have a need. The PUD offers multiple payment options. Pick whatever one is best for you.
The PUD does not care about my user name and password. I need none of that to happily use their services for years on end.
TRICARE:
Want to see an updated statement of your payment history?
TRICARE has a customer portal page on the web. Tried to use this in the past. It is a tortuous process. Tricky to set up and update passwords over and again. They will treat you like a hacker, even if you have done nothing wrong. Super complicated.
TRICARE requires you to create a user name and password. Whatever password you like will only be temporary, because it must be changed on schedule and it is required to be complicated.
Did you forget your password? No problem, just provide answers to a few simple questions:
What was the house number across the street from where your best childhood friend grew up?
Way too complicated. Why should this be any more tricky to use than an Amazon account?
As a last resort, you call to speak to a human at the understaffed call center. Broken web protocols at TRICARE drive up the number of people who want to call and speak to a human. You may be passed around to several different call operators.
Back in early December, I was passed along to a total of four humans.
All layers of questions to verify every possible means to ID customer are repeated again prior to speaking to each human.
Add in some call wait times too.
Paid annual fee in Dec, 2024 on the phone, with a credit card. Never received any payment confirmation or invoice from TRICARE.
Filled out recurring credit card TRICARE payment authorization form in Dec, 2024. Placed form in the mail. Never received any payment confirmation or invoice from TRICARE. No verification of payment authorization from any source. It’s all a mystery.
Possibly of interest:
Working To Kill Commissaries 2024
Photo at top of page:
A symbol of Support The Troops nonsense rolled out for federal holidays.
Post-Vietnam guilt
The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards staying out of undeclared/unwon wars or managing federal contracts related to TRICARE.
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.