Originally Posted by
tnkrdrvr
Tricare Select is NOT as good as my civilian job coverage (probably among the best in the private sector) so I may drop it since that will enable me to qualify to use a HSA that will provide a vehicle to hide more money from the tax man. For the average Joe who is retired military, Tricare will remain his best option. It will simply be a crappier best option than anticipated that will eat up an ever growing share of his retirement.
That's a reductionist trope. You're missing the point of having Tricare Select in AD retirement (pre-medicare):
I don't need to be tied to an employer to have it! You may not put much value to it because you're committed to toiling until your hands give out, but I do put a value to it. Especially the value of not having to ask '
mother may I?' to some employer in my 50s as a pre-condition of providing healthcare access to my family. I don't do that because my statistical civilian options (and healthcare options by proxy) outside the military are that of a retail greeter according to your trope. I do it because employer-
independent healthcare in "working" age isn't the bug for me, it's the FEATURE.
At this juncture in my life I don't even euphemize the transactional reasons for pursuing an AD retirement. It's actually ironic to me you consider the employer-
dependent paradigm the more enviable construct.