Is your TRICARE plan the right choice? Published Dec. 18, 2013 By 1st Lt. Joshua Smart 71st Medical Group practice manager VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Do you have the right TRICARE plan? TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Standard are two of the most common plans, each with its own benefits. Active-duty service members have TRICARE Prime. Active-duty family members can choose Prime or Standard. Prime offers the lowest out-of-pocket costs, but patients must receive care from their primary care manager at their enrolled military treatment facility. Any off-base care requires a referral from your PCM. Prime does have annual fees for certain beneficiary categories, including retirees, their families, surviving spouses and others. Standard allows patients to see providers or utilize urgent care without the need for a referral and requires no annual enrollment fee. This allows patients to have more options when it comes to who they see and when. However, there are annual deductibles and cost-shares. If a Prime patient contacts the Vance Clinic, but available appointments do not work for the patient, the patient can elect to go to urgent care, but will be responsible for any incurred charges. TRICARE Standard patients can go off-base for care without being seen at the Vance Clinic. All Prime beneficiaries benefit from the cost-savings, but must seek initial care with their PCM at Vance. No urgent care referrals will be issued if the 71st Medical Group has open appointments. These appointments are already paid for by the taxpayer. To explore your options before you decide to change your TRICARE plan, contact TRICARE South at 1-800-444-5445, stop by your local TRICARE Service Center or go online to www.Tricare.mil for more information. For more information, contact the Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance coordinator at 580-213-6343.