Health Care Programs for Veterans
For Retirees Overseas
For Retirees Overseas
2023, 27 January
It is no secret health care is confusing, with health care for military veterans being more confusing, and if you add to that being a retiree living overseas it is even more confusing. Lets try and simplify things.
Lets make a list here of health care options the U S government provides to vets, both retired and non-retired, and briefly explain each, with links to pages and websites that contain more details. We will focus on Active Duty or CONUS processes, because after all, this is a website focused on living overseas.
TRICARE is the DOD’s health care program that covers retirees, their family members, and other eligible beneficiaries. TRICARE is not VA! It is a separate and distinct program not related or regulated by VA in any way.
The TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) is the TRICARE system overseas. The TOP website at https://www.tricare-overseas.com is your portal for all TRICARE services overseas and is managed by International SOS (ISOS).
TRICARE Overseas has two (2) plans for retirees: TRICARE Select (under 65) and TRICARE For Life if over 65.
Read more, go to our TRICARE page
Service connected care. If you are rated for a condition, you can use the Manila OPC for care, if they have the facilities to do so. If they dont you can use FMP Foreign Medical Program, for care by local providers. Being 100% P&T, does not mean every malady you have is covered, it means VA has found you disabled in certain physical or mental areas which you developed while in service. It does not mean you have healthcare for all of your maladies but only those which are found service connected. For all other maladies, you would have to use other healthcare.
Medicare is not used directly here in the Philippines, it is limited to the US and territories. Although you can not use it here directly, you must maintain Parts A & B to continue eligibility for Tricare for life (over 65) for yourself and CHAMPVA for your family. If you cancel your Part B you will no longer be eligible for Tricare. Although you cannot use Medicare here, you have to retain Part B, because it pays for Tricare for life enrollment. All other Tricare enrollment program fees here (SELECT) you pay directly to Tricare.
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) is a health care program for the spouse or widow(er) and children of an eligible Veteran. Through CHAMPVA, VA shares the cost of certain health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. CHAMPVA may also provide benefits to the Primary Family Caregiver through the Caregiver Support Program. CHAMPVA is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is NOT associated with TRICARE.
https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/providers/info_champva.asp
For eligible Veterans living or traveling abroad with Service Connected medical needs, VA offers medical services through the Foreign Medical Program (FMP). Through this program, FMP will pay for health care services, medications, and durable medical equipment for service-connected conditions and conditions associated with and held to be aggravating a service-connected condition.
FMP Home
https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/veterans/fmp/
