Tricare on the Rise

摘要

Last spring, many older Americans found themselves struggling to make sense out of a new Medicare benefit designed to pay at least part of the cost of their medications. They were expected to choose among a number of complex options, none of which were easy to understand. At the same time, military retirees were enjoying a number of recent improvements in their medical program. Today, it not only provides pharmacy benefits but also makes health care cheaper than it is for most civilians. Col. Charles Wolak is chief of the Health Benefits Division in the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General. Asked to comment on the changes in the services' Tricare system in the past few years, he replied, "Probably the most significant change was extension of the medical benefits to our senior population with our Tricare for Life program ... also, the Tricare senior pharmacy benefit."