Q. I plan on retiring soon and have a dream to become a full-time "RVer." How do I manage my family's Tricare coverage when we are traveling across this great country of ours?

A. You don't say how old you are, which is a factor. But if you are under 65, you should probably go with Tricare Standard, the military's version of a fee-for-service plan. You and your family members could see any Tricare-authorized provider anywhere in the country, and there are no enrollment fees and usually only modest co-pays.

Tricare Prime, the military's version of an HMO, requires establishment of a primary care manager and has some geographical limitations, along with requiring an annual enrollment fee.

Make sure you and all eligible families members are properly registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and have proper military ID cards. Visit the ID Card/DEERS office on your nearest military installation or call the main DEERS support office in California at 800-538-9552.

You can get general information on your Tricare options here: www.tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans.aspx. You can also get information from the managed-care contractor for the Tricare region in which you live. Toll-free contact numbers for all Tricare regional contractors is here: www.tricare.mil/ContactUs/CallUs.aspx.

Finally, there is an an online tool for finding Tricare-authorized network providers anywhere in the country at: www.tricare.mil/FindDoctor.aspx.

Q. My wife recently met a woman who said she had previously been married to a retired Army major from 1977 to 1988. The major was on active duty during that time and went on to serve a total of 20 years. She is not receiving any benefits. Isn't she entitled to benefits under the "10/10" rule?

A. The "10/10 rule" has nothing to do with a former spouse's potential eligibility for military health care coverage or any other benefits after divorce. Rather, it has to do with the court-ordered division of military retired pay.

Under the rule, if a service member and spouse were married for at least 10 years, and during that time the member performed creditable service for at least 10 years and goes on to serve long enough to qualify for military retired pay, then the former spouse can choose to have his/her court-ordered portion of the retired pay sent directly from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, instead of having to receive it from the former spouse.

The 10/10 rule is solely about which source that check comes from.

In the specific case of the woman your wife talked to, you don't mention if there was a court-ordered division of the ex-husband's military retirement pay. If there was, the woman would qualify under the 10/10 rule to receive her portion directly from DFAS.

The rule that does have everything to do with military benefits for former spouses is the "20/20/20 rule." A former spouse of a service member is entitled to lifetime Tricare health coverage and other benefits such as continued commissary and exchange access, if three requirements are met:

1. The military member served at least 20 years in uniform and is eligible for military retirement benefits.

2. The marriage lasted at least 20 years.

3. The marriage and the member's service overlapped by at least 20 years.

Under this rule, a former spouse's military health care coverage ends if the former spouse remarries, and it cannot be restored later even if the subsequent marriage ends in death or divorce.

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

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