Veterans of the United States Military Services will find that they have many options when seeking health insurance. When getting health insurance quotes, there are a few key things that should be kept in mind when making choices on how to optimize benefits available. The options discussed in this article are open only to military veterans, and are not available to service members currently active.

The United States Department of Defense provides military health insurance coverage to all active duty members of the armed forces, veterans of the armed forces, and army reserves and their dependents through a program called Tricare. Tricare is not an insurance company, but a regionally managed health care system for active duty and retired U.S. military personnel and their dependents. Tricare combines the health care resources of the armed forces and supplements them with networks of non-military health care professionals to provide better access and service while maintaining the capability to support military operations. To be eligible to participate in Tricare, the veteran and eligible dependents must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Tricare has three main coverage choices for military veterans called Tricare Prime, Tricare Extra and Tricare Standard.

Tricare Prime is where Military Treatment Facilities are the principal source of health care, but civilian care can be received under certain circumstances. A Primary Care Manager provides and guides health care delivery. It provides the lowest cost for treatment among the three main Tricare options, but it requires military veterans to be enrolled, pay an enrollment fee and it is very expensive to receive care outside Tricare Prime. It is also available in limited areas.

With Tricare Extra, enrollment or annual fees are not required but an annual deductible for outpatient care must be satisfied. Any doctor in the Tricare Extra network can be chosen and the military veteran can see space-available care in military hospital at a low priority.

Tricare Standard is the option that provides the most flexibility to military veterans and eligible beneficiaries. This fee-for-service option that gives policyholders the opportunity to choose from a selection of authorized providers. There is no fee for enrollment and it can be used in conjunction with Tricare Extra or other health insurance. There is no Primary Care Manager, but there is a deductible and co-payment.

Military veterans sometimes have other health insurance available to them through their job, or through a spouse, or under medical coverage for accidental injuries under an automobile insurance policy. When military veterans are seeking health insurance quotes, coverage varies from policy to policy. Each situation must be evaluated to determine which policy will optimize the benefits for the individual based on costs, coverage or proximity to coverage.