Military health & dental coverage (for life?)?

If someone joins the military for only 4-6 years (as opposed to serving 20 years and retiring), will they still receive full health and dental insurance for the rest of their life?





Someone told me this was true, but I thought you had to retire after 20 years to keep those bennies. Anyone know?

Military health %26amp; dental coverage (for life?)?
NO, you wouldn't receive them for that period of time. Even after retiring at 20 years, the benefits aren't that great. You can go to the VA, but the waiting list is huge and the care is usually fair. You also have to pay insurance (TriCare) when you get out for you and the family. Also, active duty, you have to pay dental insurance and they don't cover the cost of glasses or anything like that for family members.
Reply:no, only if they are injured and it's the military fault. but the military will only cover the injury, and nothing else.
Reply:You are entitled to certain benefits through the Veterans' Administration if you serve at least one enlistment of 4-6 years and receive an honorable discharge. Check out http://www.va.gov to find out what's available.
Reply:Nope. You lose them when you get out.
Reply:No, you have to retire to get full health care benefits. The only possible exception MIGHT be if you were seriously wounded or developed a catastrophic illness that made it impossible for you to work again. Even then, depending on the circumstances, you might not get full coverage.





BTW, even those of us who have retired have to pay co-pays and not everything is covered either. Still, it's a darn good health plan.
Reply:no, you only get medical and dental benefits for life if you are a retiree, which means you served 20 years or more. if you only serve 4-6 years the benefits stop when you are discharged from the military. it would be nice though.
Reply:Our insurance through the Military is called TriCare, and of course active duty members and their families receive free heath care, and if stationed in the States, the family members have some coverage for dental, but active duty member receives it free. (The dental is only free to family members overseas, and it's the only time we are treated at a military dental clinic)


After we retire, (My husband will retire in two years, and that will have give him 22 years in) we will have the option to continue with TriCare, but we'll have pay for it. It's still going to be cheaper then any other private insurance. For instance, we are a family of six, and it will cost us 400.00 a year to cover our whole family. We will be allowed to use the Military hospitals, but as long as we can find a civilian doctor that accepts TriCare, we can see them. It will also cove our prescriptions, but it's a very small co-payment compared to to what you would pay if you had no coverage on prescriptions.