TRICARE and the NHS

Health care in England is not one system that replaces the other. TRICARE is the military plan. The NHS is the health service in England. Start with TRICARE health plans and the NHS pages for visiting or moving to England. The NHS says the rules may be different in Wales, Northern Ireland, or Scotland.

TRICARE overseas

TRICARE says plan availability depends on who you are and where you live. Keep your eligibility current in DEERS. The health-plans page says to check DEERS regularly.

TRICARE Prime Overseas is a managed care option in overseas areas near military hospitals and clinics. TRICARE says:

• Active duty service members have to enroll where it is available. That includes activated National Guard and Reserve members.
• Family members must be command-sponsored to enroll. Retirees and their family members cannot enroll.
• There are no enrollment fees. There are no copayments when care is from your primary care manager or with a referral. Care without a referral is subject to point-of-service fees.
• Your primary care manager refers you to a specialist and works with International SOS, the overseas contractor, when authorization is needed.

TRICARE Select Overseas provides comprehensive coverage in all overseas areas. Enrollment is required, and you must show as eligible in DEERS. You book an appointment with any TRICARE-authorized overseas provider. Referrals are not required in most situations. Some services may need pre-authorization. You will not get a TRICARE wallet card. Your Uniformed Services ID card is the proof of coverage. Costs vary by the sponsor’s status. TRICARE lists enrollment fees, an annual outpatient deductible, and copayments or cost-shares. It says you should expect to pay up front and file your own claim. Dollar amounts are on the TRICARE costs page linked from that plan, not on this one.

The NHS

The NHS says it operates a residence-based system. Most NHS services are free to people who are ordinarily resident in the UK. Ordinarily resident means living in the UK on a lawful and properly settled basis for the time being. It is not the same thing as nationality, paying UK tax, having an NHS number, or being registered with a GP.

The same NHS page says that if you are subject to immigration control, you can only be considered ordinarily resident if you have indefinite leave to remain. It also prints an immigration health surcharge for some people applying to come to the UK for a temporary stay of more than 6 months. The amounts it prints are £776 a year for a student visa, a Youth Mobility Scheme visa, or an applicant under 18, and £1,035 a year for everyone else. It says there are exemptions, including a dependant of a member of the armed forces who is not subject to immigration control. Use the moving to England from outside the EEA page for the current fee.

A separate NHS page lists visitors who do not have to pay for NHS hospital treatment. One category is NATO personnel where medical service cannot be provided by armed forces medical services. That includes spouses or civil partners and children under 18, as long as they are lawfully present in the UK. That is not a statement that every US military family gets all NHS care at no charge. Read visitors who do not need to pay for NHS treatment.

More in this set

• UK life overview
• SOFA basics
• Driving
• Phones and internet