Can I keep my current health insurance when joining the military?

Question

I am 18 years old currently in the Navy Inactive Reserves. I leave for boot camp in about 1 month and I will be active duty for 5 years.
I live in CA, I have a MediCal health insurance, it does't cover that much, never really needed it, but my question is once I switch to active duty, does my insurance stay and will I still be able to use it or not? Or does it just completely go away since I will have military health insurance while on active duty? Thank you :)

Answer 1

While on active duty you will be fully covered for health, dental, and vision through t military. Even if MediCal allows you to keep a policy in place (highly unlikely), you will never have the opportunity to use it while you are serving.



Note: If you are 18 years oldand have not been to basic training yet, you are in the Delayed Enlistment Program, not the IRR.

Answer 2

1) first of all, you will NOT be "switching to active duty". IF you go to basic training for GUARD or RESERVES (even if only for 'inactive status' - which i never heard of, why would the reserves pay to send you to basic only to not have you drill?) you will be considered 'prior service' by the active side of the house, and there is virtually ZERO opportunities for 'prior service'. if you want to go active, go active from day one, or you never will.



2 - IF you are on guard and reserves, you have NO tricare or insurance covererage at all - unless you are on duty, on orders, or unless you subscribe to tricare reserve select (AND pay premiums for it). you do not have to get TRS, but of course with obamacare, you do have to carry insurance of some kind and if MediCal meets the requirement, don't sweat it.



3 - if you do go active, you can purchase outside insurance if you want, but why would you WANT to? if you are on active duty tricare is free (no premiums) for you and your eligible dependents. you also have no deductible, no prescription costs, etc. a word of caution here: IF you are active duty and have tricare AND if you buy an outside insurance plan - you will be required to meet the deductible, co-pay, cost-shares, out-of-pocket maximums FIRST before tricare will pay ANYTHING at all. this is because BY LAW, tricare is the last payer on a claim. this is why it would make NO SENSE if on active duty to have an outside health insurance - it would only cost you more.



4 - if you are guard/reserves, look into TRS. IF you currently have to pay any co-pays, deductibles on MediCal (is that Title 19?) chances are TRS will save you money. premiums are very affordable for single people, deductible last i knew was $300 (much less than the 3 to 5 THOUSAND everyone else pays), and you can get prescriptions for free - filled at the local military facility or i think through express scrips

Answer 3

You will no longer qualify for it. You will be in a different location, employed and that employer provides you with free health care. In the Navy some commands have a Corpsman for you to see, if not or it is necessary you go to the Base Clinic/Hospital. That is where you do your dental as well

Answer 4

That's something you should call Medi-Cal about. I'm thinking you would no longer qualify for the insurance coverage since you have medical care provided by the government.

Answer 5

No, you cannot keep your welfare coverage while in the military. For one thing, you'll have coverage through the Navy and won't need welfare, and for another thing your income will be too much to continue to qualify for welfare.

Answer 6

How are you in the IRR if you have not been in yet? Anyway, no. You are going to have complete 100% free coverage with the Navy.

Answer 7

You can file under whatever insurance you want to use.