Originally Posted by Sputnik

Same conclusions. However, you can use a FSA, similar to an HSA in that it is pre tax dollars. Which you can then use for just about ever medical expense (dental/med copays, glasses, scripts, etc). Based on your tax situation, can work out to about 30% savings on anything you pay.

Gotchas:

- This is my first year, I could be completely wrong

- Seems like a bit of a pain to use as you have to file a claim for each use (it's all online, but still)

- You can only put a certain amount in, $2500/yr I think

- It's a spend or lose kind of thing, while you can carry $500 forward to next year, anything else unspent is lost.


As far as tricare, I use standard for it's flexibility (family has been on standard for years). As long as I spend less than 1600ish a year on healthcare, it's cheaper than prime. Either way, the FSA will help lesson the blow.

Feel free to shoot holes in my theory.