Great thread. Anyone have any experience or thoughts on having a baby with prime vs standard? Half remember some significant differences in coverage.

My first kid just turned two and the second is due in a few months. i'm AD and my family has been on Standard since Day 1. The whole hospital bill for my daughter was a whopping $20 or so on Standard. Appointments for check-ups and minor ailments (cough/cold) are usually $10 or less (including prescriptions). We've been to the ER twice with my daughter and the bill was less than $100 each time.

All this and the ability to see the provider we want when we want is amazing! My wife and daughter have never stepped foot in a military treatment facility and we are happy to keep it that way.

The tiny price premium for Standard is worth it to avoid dealing with the Med Group entirely.

Retiree program is completely different from the AD program. Can't answer the Kid on retiree question. All of my experience was pre-retirement.

If you live near an MTF, Standard is way to go. Have not lived near an MTF in my last two locations and Retiree Prime has been outstanding. Key is to get an outstanding PCM with a good office staff. Use the website to find doctors in network and do your home work. Ask for the referral by name. If it doesn't work get a new PCM.

No matter what you do it is not rolling into flight doc's office that you know well who knows you with no billing. Have had some exciting medical issues in the last year and you need to stay on top of referrals particularly for emergency room visits and kids out of town.

On a related note Delta Dental Retired is absurdly expensive. take your employer Dental ASAP and save more than half. in fact for less than half of what i payed for Delta i now have better Dental AND a Vision Plan.

All 3 of my kids were born when my wife was on standard. Kids are automatically prime on birth, so even though wife was on standard, we paid prime frees. Premie kid, in the NICU for a week, costs us about 40 bucks (think prime fee for an off base hospital was 13 a day for my wife).

Retired I still think standard is better. No MTF round here and I dont have to deal with a PCM. No issues finding people to take Tricare.

Had both mine on Prime one on AD the other in the reserves as a dependent. First no military hospital great experience, second I should have listened to my friends I was the only person I knew who had their kid and went to the Base for the baby everyone else switched as soon as they found out they were pregnant. I wish I had.