TRICARE Prime Versus TRICARE Select

TRICARE Prime Versus TRICARE SelectTRICARE Prime Versus TRICARE SelectHealth care for military personnel and their families isnt something that gets much coverage in the media, which means that fruchtwein civilians dont know very much about it. For military families, though, its a big deal. As with alfruchtwein every other aspect of the military, budget cuts threaten to change the landscape of health insurance for military-affiliated families. TRICARE has been a benefit for many families and helps keep their medical expenses within budget. TRICARE offers two main plans with 15 different plan variants, making sure to offer plan options that have exactly what you need to get the best, and most affordable, healthcare for yourself and your family. TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select offer two different approaches to healthcare. Each plan has its pros and cons, and the following comparison can help you make the best choice for your family. TRICARE Prime Active duty military members and t heir dependents need to enroll in TRICARE Prime.Active duty families pay no enrollment fee, while retirees, their families and others must pay an enrollment fee ranging from $289 to $350 for individuals, and $578 to $700 for families. With TRICARE Prime, you can keep coverage costs to a minimum, while using a managed-care system. You arent required to pay a co-pay (out of pocket fee) or deductible, unless youre using the point-of-service option. In this case, youll have a single-person deductible of $300 or a family deductible of $600. If youre active duty, you wont be able to use the point-of-service option. If you want to use the no out-of-pocket option with TRICARE Prime, youll choose from a list of approved or designated providers, similar to a civilian HMO policy, where you can see only providers who are in the plans network. If you live on or near a base, this usually means going to the local military medical facility. Youll have somewhat limited options with this plan, especi ally if you or a family member has special medical needs. TRICARE Prime only offers availability in designated prime service areas, and you can find out which areas qualify by using the PlanFinderon the TRICARE website. In order to use the no-copay option under Prime, youll need an official referral if you need to see a specialist or other preferred provider. So, youll have more paperwork and processing on Prime, but the savings may very well be worth it for your family. You just have to prepare yourself for a delay in care while you wait for referrals. If you need immediate, emergency care, youll have to spend a few seconds thinking about your options before you rush out the door. For example, TRICARE separates emergency and urgent care, and the coverage requirements are different under the plan. A visit to the emergency room for a life-threatening concern only warrants a post-event call to your program contractor. Alternatively, a visit to urgent care for a non-life-threatening bu t aserious issue (such as a broken ankle) does require a referral. The TRICARE Prime plan caps your costs, called a catastrophic cap, depending on your military status. For active duty family members, youll pay a maximum of $1,000, and all others pay a maximum of $3,000 to $3,500. TRICARE Select TRICARE Selectgives you the most freedom of choice and flexibility in your options for providers, but it also involves some additional out-of-pocket expenses. You have the choice to use a network provider or out-of-network provider, and you wont need to get a referral. However, you may still need authorization for certain services, just as you would with most other insurance plans. You must enroll in this plan, and you may need to pay for some services up front and then file a claim yourself to get reimbursed. If you choose an in-network provider, they typically file claims for you. TRICARE Selectcan be great if you live on or near a base but dont want to use the local military medical f acilities, or someone in your family has special needs. TRICARE Standards out-of-network option can also come in handy if you live more than 30 miles from a military medical facility and dont want to drive long distances to take your children to the doctor. The program is available in all areas of the United States. You will pay an annual deductible on TRICARE Select,however, the rates are still very affordable compared to civilian insurance options. For example, for an E4 and below and on active duty or in the Guard/Reserve, your deductible can be $50 per person (but no more than $100 for the whole family). E5 and above can expect $150 per individual (but no more than $300 for the whole family). You will also be responsible for a percentage or share of certain services. Many preventative services dont require an out-of-pocket fee, however, you can expect to be responsible for anywhere from $15 to $28in-network or 20 percent to 25 percent for out-of-network provider visits. This pla n features the same catastrophic cap benefit level as the TRICARE Prime plan. Making the Right Choice For Your Family Both plans offer great options for active duty military personnel and their families. Establish your priorities for health care, and consider your long-term needs to help guide your research. Like any other decision regarding medical care, be sure to communicate directly with your insurance provider to get the most up-to-date information.

Why You Need to Pay Your Dues in Your Job - The Muse

Why You Need to Pay Your Dues in Your Job - The MuseWhy You Need to Pay Your Dues in Your Job Before I finally gathered the courage to quit my job and pursue my goal of becoming a freelance writer, my mind welches constantly swimming with all of the daydream-worthy visions of how awesome my career was going to inevitably be.Ill spend my days cozied up in the corner of a quaint coffee shop, Id think to myself, With my laptop in front of me and a latte by my side, working on must-read articles that will appear in all of my favorite, glossy magazines.Dream big, right? But, a few months after I managed to wave goodbye to my cubicle and throw myself into the freelance life, I realized that there was a big difference between my fantasy and my reality.Rather than perfecting work that I was proud of in that coffee shop of my dreams, I found myself somewhere different entirely Huddled over my laptop in the wee hours of the morning, cranking out 500-word blog posts about storage units and seni or living facilities. Its not exactly the stuff a newbie freelancers dreams are made of.For a while, I convinced myself that Id made a huge mistake. I obviously didnt know what it meant to be a freelance writer, and I was certain that I had jumped the gun in quitting without doing enough research into what this career was all about. And, where did it get me? Stressed out, frazzled, and flat broke while writing endless pieces about what to do when your beloved storage unit floods? This was definitely not what Id signed up for.I got to the point when I was ready to throw in the towel and chalk my idiotic decision up as a learning experience when things began to change. I departureed to develop a solid portfolio of work and build more a name for myself. Slowly but surely, I started to land gigs with larger publications that I actually admired (so long, articles about senior-safe showers).It was then that I realized something important Just because Id chosen a somewhat untraditional car eer path didnt mean that I got to entirely skip all of those traditional milestones. No, even in my so-called dream career, I still had to roll up my sleeves, put in some hard work, and pay my dues.Sure, weve all likely heard those stories of people who seem to experience almost instant success. They appear to skyrocket from the bottom rung of that ladder straight to the top. But, let me assure that those stories are few and far between- and, even further, youre not often privy to the entire picture.More often than not, you need to start at the bottom, put in your time, and prove yourself before you truly get to the part of your career that youve spent years fantasizing about. And, take it from me, that holds true even when you land in what you believe to be your dream job.I wont deny the fact that paying your dues can be frustrating and disheartening. Like I said, I had plenty of late nights when I was close to tears, convinced that I couldnt write one more article about renters in surance. However, in retrospect, needing to claw my way up from the bottom was actually an incredibly rewarding and important part of the experience. It quickly illustrated to me how hard Id need to work in order to make big things happen for myself, and it made every single new byline that much sweeter- I knew I was taking steps in the right direction. While I no longer write about storage units (and, honestly, Im grateful for that), I dont think Id have built the career I have today without starting out with that humbling experience. So, rather than growing discouraged by the fact that you need to put in your time, its important that you remember that its all a part of the process- and a valuable part at that. Yes, skipping steps might sound ideal. But- trust me- youll appreciate reaching your goal that much more when you can reflect back on just how hard you worked to get there.Photoof woman at computercourtesy ofBraunS / Getty Images.

Sensors Are Making Cycling Safer

Sensors Are Making Cycling Safer Sensors Are Making Cycling Safer Sensors Are Making Cycling SaferLook out on numerous roads and youll see them trying to find a way into a crowded lane, picking their way through traffic. Bicyclists are seemingly everywhere. Helmet strapped and riding a two-wheeled vehicle that can sometimes be more expensive than the cars that pass them, they go it alone or sometimes ride in packs.As cycling becomes a more and more popular mode of green transportation in cities such from Portland to San Francisco, its geldschrank to say that comparatively vulnerable cyclists can use all the help they can get as they seek to share the roads with SUVs and 18-wheelers. A team currently working at the University of Minnesota hopes to create a much-needed warning system to protect bicycles from motor vehicles, providing a respectful and safe transportation environment.Rajesh Ramani, a professor of mechanical engineering at the school, says just as some cars have collision -prevention systems, there isnt a reason why there cant be a corresponding one for bikes.A bicycle equipped with the prototype collision-warning system. Image University of MinnesotaIf this could be a system which could track nearby cars on the road, for people who need bikes for everything from exercise to getting to work, then it could be an important success, he says of the project, which received funding from the National Science Foundation. Yes, theres a system for cars for automatic warning and braking. Bicycles dont need to tell, really, if they will run into a car. But its different when you talk about the danger of being hit from the rear or from the side while going through a traffic intersection. Thats the mindset you have to take going into creating something like this. Its a different need than for cars. Its different collision scenarios.The system has been worked on for over two years now and it revolves around developing a reliable sensor system for the bicycle. The s ystem mixes in algorithms as well, along with a microprocessor providing an alert.During their work, cost became a major factor.For the rear collision system, for example, we had to balance cost versus having sufficient range, he says. A sonar sensor for the rear worked out financially because its less than twenty dollars but its physical range is only on the order of six meters or so. We need at least twenty meters. radargert sensors give much longer range but are much more expensive. We ended up going with a laser sensor thats mounted on a stepper motorthe sensor itself costs eighty nine dollars at retail.With the sensor, he explains, it allowed them to monitor vehicles that are behind the bicycle. They could also do active sensing. That means doing active locational control of the laser sensor, he offers. As the car behind the bicycle moves laterally or longitudinally, the sensor stays focused on it.The system also has a special type of sonar system, a triad unit one transmitter and two receivers. Were using this is to be able to find both the distance and orientation of the car at the side of the bicycle, he says.The warning system is being further developed to start with visual signals from the bicycle and also to provide loud audio. The audio is just like when you can hear a car honk from another car when youre driving but this would have a different sound so a driver would know its specifically a bicycle.Despite their strides, there are still challenges left when it comes to reliably tracking the vehicles at this point, he admits. I think were doing well for rear and side and working on the front, he says. The goal is to keep the price at five hundred dollars or less and keep it lightweight and low power. I like where were headed.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further Discussion Thats the mindset you have to take going into creating something like this. Its a different need than for cars. Its different collision scenarios. Prof. Rajesh Ram ani, University of Minnesota