TRICARE Supplement Insurance: Reducing Costs for Military Families

You count on TRICARE to protect your family’s health—and it delivers a great deal of value. TRICARE provides coverage for doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, and preventive services, serving as the foundation of healthcare for millions in the military community.

But here’s what many service members and families discover the hard way: TRICARE doesn’t cover everything. Even with this essential benefit, you’re still responsible for certain costs such as copayments, cost-shares, and deductibles. Over time, those expenses add up quickly, making it harder to manage your annual healthcare budget. That’s where a TRICARE Supplement Insurance plan can make a real difference.

What TRICARE Covers

TRICARE provides coverage for:

• Doctor and hospital visits
• Emergency care and surgeries
• Preventive services like screenings and vaccines
• Prescription medications

These benefits are substantial, but every plan comes with limits. Uncovered expenses are part of the structure, and families often feel the impact when they least expect it.

Common TRICARE Out-of-Pocket Costs

Military families are often surprised not by large hospital bills but by the steady stream of smaller charges that accumulate throughout the year. With TRICARE, you may be responsible for:

• Cost-shares—A percentage of costs for certain covered services.
• Copayments—Fixed amounts for services like urgent care or specialty visits.
• Deductibles—The amount you must pay each year before TRICARE begins to share the cost.

TRICARE Prime generally has no annual deductible, but costs apply if you go outside the Military Treatment Facility or see a provider without a referral. TRICARE Select and other premium-based plans—such as TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), and TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR), require annual deductibles along with copays or cost-shares for most services.

TRICARE also has a catastrophic cap, which sets an annual limit on what you pay out-of-pocket. While this limit provides important financial protection, families are still responsible for paying expenses up front until the cap is reached.

How a TRICARE Supplement Helps

This is where TRICARE Supplement Insurance plan can provide exceptional coverage for your family. A supplement works alongside your TRICARE plan, typically reimbursing you for eligible copays, cost-shares, and other eligible  expenses until the catastrophic cap has been met.

Think of it as an added layer of financial protection:

• TRICARE pays its portion of an approved bill.
• Your TRICARE Supplement helps cover the remaining eligible costs.

The result? Fewer surprise bills and more predictable healthcare expenses throughout the year.

Why Choose USBA’s TRICARE Supplement Insurance?

The Uniformed Services Benefit Association^® (USBA^®) offers TRICARE Supplement Insurance plans tailored to the needs of military families. Our supplement plans are:

• Straightforward—Designed to work hand-in-hand with TRICARE without added complexity.
• Dependable—Offered through USBA, a nonprofit association that has supported military members and their families for decades.
• Family-Focused—Options are available for retirees and their families as well as active-duty family members, helping you protect those who depend on you most.

With USBA’s TRICARE Supplement, you gain control over your healthcare budget with set-cost coverage and fewer unexpected financial surprises.

Take Control of Your Healthcare Costs

If you’ve ever received a medical bill you didn’t expect—even with TRICARE coverage—you know how quickly costs can pile up. The smart step is to plan ahead.

Explore USBA’s TRICARE Supplement Insurance today. It’s a practical way to protect your family’s finances with confidence.