Q. I'm a gray-area retiree who has hit 60, and gets full retirement benefits. My employer's medical coverage for me and my wife costs close to $700 a month. I'd like to use Tricare, which seems to offer similar coverage for less. Can I cancel my employer plan and just go with Tricare, or do I need to keep the employer policy?

A. You can do either.

By qualifying for retirement benefits, you qualify for Tricare. The options for you and eligible family members are Tricare Prime or Tricare Standard. Prime is the military version of an HMO; Standard is the military version of a fee-for-service plan. More about their features and coverage can be found at www.tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans.aspx.

However, some people like an extra layer of coverage. You could, if you chose to, keep your employer-provided plan and still use Tricare, which would simply act as a second payer. If you went that route, you'd be better off using Tricare Standard, which has no annual enrollment fee as Prime does. By law, Tricare is always last payer to other coverage except in narrow and limited circumstances.

If you want to go Tricare-only, make sure you and your eligible family members are properly registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, the Defense Department's database of people who are eligible for various benefits.

The fact that you're already receiving retirement pay indicates that you and your wife are registered, but if not, contact DEERS by visiting the ID Card/DEERS office on any installation or by calling the main DEERS support office in California at 800-538-9552.

Q. My daughter's father, whom I never married, is taking me to court. He's being medically discharged from the Army for a brain tumor and says he needs joint physical custody of our daughter in order to provide her Tricare coverage for the rest of her life. Is that true?

A. No. Joint physical custody is not a requirement for Tricare coverage for a minor dependent child in such situations. All that is required is for the military sponsor — the father — to ensure the child is properly registered in DEERS.

The normal Tricare cutoff age for dependent children is 21; it may be extended to 23 if the child is a full-time college student. After that, the only option is Tricare Young Adult, which requires enrollment and payment of monthly premiums. TYA coverage may last until the child reaches age 26.

Children under 10 normally don't need their own military ID cards; however, in situations like yours, children younger than 10 may receive an ID card that the custodial parent can use to verify that the child is eligible for Tricare when going on medical appointments.

Get more details from the main DEERS support office at toll-free 800-538-9552.

Email tricarehelp@militarytimes.com. Include the word "Tricare" in the subject line.

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