Medical Insurance at USMMA?????

VRSCDX

VRSCDX

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Does anybody know if I should keep medical insurance in place for my son while at USMMA. A friend of mine's son goes to USCGA, and he dropped med insurance after Swab Summer. Then I noticed in some chat that we pay for wisdom teeth removal. I don't want to be exposed to any risk, so are the mids covered, or do I keep my insurance in place???? Appreciate any insight anybody has.
 
VRSCDX said:
Does anybody know if I should keep medical insurance in place for my son while at USMMA. A friend of mine's son goes to USCGA, and he dropped med insurance after Swab Summer. Then I noticed in some chat that we pay for wisdom teeth removal. I don't want to be exposed to any risk, so are the mids covered, or do I keep my insurance in place???? Appreciate any insight anybody has.
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yes keep it...

DOT doesnt cover much from what I've read!

tons of info here:
http://www.usmma.edu/parents/
 
Our son was injured his plebe year and had to have surgery. They called it a preexisting condition and it reverted back to our insurance, $19,000. Keep your insurance.
 
In reading the fine print, keeping your insurance is for long term illnesses more or less as Kings Point covers the incidentals (a case of bronchitis, the flu, rashes, ect.) but they advise keeping the kids on your policy point blank. Let me repeat…point blank. Know that I’ve not had to pay for anything EXCEPT for the whole wisdom teeth episode due to the waiver they have you sign. You DO NOT want this done away from home. Remind me to tell you about THAT whole story sometime.

The tough thing is: explaining to your dentist that they are going to need the wisdom teeth out regardless of their good expertise. Our dentist said that the boy was “good for go” & we had good record of it BUT the KP dentist, per their set of xrays, wanted them out by the second part of sea year. They frankly don’t need nor want a kid experiencing problems in a port o’ call such as Sardinia with no good dental care. Dentists seem to buck this but it’s a strangely odd circumstance. It’s a military thing, nothing against the dentist. Get those puppies out before reporting in & keep 'em on your health plan.
 
Thanks all for the advice. We may be lucky. I think my son was born with only one wisdom tooth. Maybe he is genetically inclined to USMMA vs his other choice, USCGA. I will keep the insurance. We are self employed (which we love), so we have some lousy insurance with a huge deductible we never hit anyway. Thank goodness for Health Savings Accounts. Every bill I pay is at least from pre tax dollars.

We will have the tooth extracted by a trusted source here in Monterey or by my Dentist Brother-In-Law. Now we are looking over the whole immunization thing. Thanks again all for the great advice.
 
VRSCDX said:
A friend of mine's son goes to USCGA, and he dropped med insurance after Swab Summer.
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At USCGA, cadets (and swabs :wink: ) are considered active duty military - they are paid a salary while at the academy and their medical and dental care is provided 100% by TriCare. This is also true for USNA, USMA, and USAFA.

I'm not sure if USMMA midshipmen are considered eligible for TriCare, or if they are considered active duy military while at Kings Point.
 
Wisdom Teeth - then and now

USMMA is not TRICARE-supported; one of the many things different about USMMA, in terms of healthcare, DOD active duty status, DFAS pay, etc. They have some USPHS staff there but for major medical and dental, they should have a family plan. This from my many business visits there and a Navy friend who's had 3 sons/daughters go to KP in the last 6 years. I'm sure KP alum and parents on here have the specifics.

The wisdom teeth thing... a small sea story. Before I went off to OCS (last century), my family dentist, a retired Army dentist, told me he would take my wisdom teeth out before I went, even though I had no apparent problems. He said that was one of the first things military medical/dental liked to do, for the reasons cited in previous posts about lack of dental care available at sea and in remote locations. One of my better decisions to agree. My OCS roommates had 'em all done at once, right in the middle of engineering exams and the PRT test. At USNA, I observed miserable chipmunk-cheeked mids by the dozens, all 4 out at once, when the extractions invariably happened in the middle of a hectic schedule. USNA grads will recall The Log. I was O-rep -- you can imagine the hilarious investigative piece on what happened to the thousands of extracted wisdom teeth (do the math!) over the years, and where they were secreted on the Yard.

Sorry... had to laugh. Wisdom teeth extraction is just one of those trustworthy pillars of military life. :yllol:
 
I needed mine out prior to commissioning....I was one of the lucky ones. I was able to go to a retired Navy Captain's private practice instead of the subase's hospital in Groton. Not that I didn't trust Groton's dentists, it's just we all knew the private practice guy did not hold back on loading you up with drugs before he extracted four wisdom teeth at one time. That's a nice little bit of trauma for one mouth. He did a great job though.

:thumb:
 
I guess I am thankful that my daughter's orthodontist wanted her wisdom teeth out in 2007 BEFORE he would take her braces off! :thumb:
 
Aaron is scheduled to get his out during February break, big change from going to Disney or Europe as in past years. Hope there are lots of new good videos out.
 
Capt MJ said:
USMMA is not TRICARE-supported; one of the many things different about USMMA, in terms of healthcare, DOD active duty status, DFAS pay, etc. :
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Wow,

Sure seems like this is something deserving a change in policy. In my humble opinion, it would be equitable to provide consistent helathcare,federal service credit and compensation across all of the service academies regardless of whether they are attached to DOT,DOD, or Homeland Security.

Others have said, "don't hold your breath". So, I won't.
 
KP2013 said:
Wow,

Sure seems like this is something deserving a change in policy. In my humble opinion, it would be equitable to provide consistent helathcare,federal service credit and compensation across all of the service academies regardless of whether they are attached to DOT,DOD, or Homeland Security.

Others have said, "don't hold your breath". So, I won't.
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Then you would likely need to change the graduation requirements to require midshipmen to go on active duty. At the other academies the midshipmen are considered to be on active duty; whereas, at KP we are considered in a reserve status. I actually believe that the Navy looks at it as basically a ROTC program for their purposes.

I think the best bet as to things that may come would be constructive service credit, but that isn't given at the other Academies either these days so don't count on that one until the other academies get it as well.
 
kp2001 said:
Then you would likely need to change the graduation requirements to require midshipmen to go on active duty. At the other academies the midshipmen are considered to be on active duty; whereas, at KP we are considered in a reserve status.
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I am confused. I am learning more and more and it is helpful.

Are you saying the students, at the other four service academies are actually on active duty? Or, are they simply categorized as “active duty”? (that may actually be the same question, but it is where my thoughts are taking me)

Also, has any student from any of the other academies (ever) been pressed in to an active military role prior to graduation?
 
KP2013 said:
I am confused. I am learning more and more and it is helpful.

Are you saying the students, at the other four service academies are actually on active duty? Or, are they simply categorized as “active duty”? (that may actually be the same question, but it is where my thoughts are taking me)

Also, has any student from any of the other academies (ever) been pressed in to an active military role prior to graduation?
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During times of war, members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard engage in combat, but the students at their respective service academies do not. However, the students of the USMMA receive an integral part of their training at sea, and in the Second World War often found their lives in peril as they sailed through enemy-controlled waters or unloaded precious cargo in overseas combat areas.*

So ironically, the cadets/midshipmen at all of the "other 4" service academies are considered to be on "active duty" in the US military, yet only the USMMA is authorized to carry a battle standard as part of their color guard, to commemorate the 142 midshipmen who lost their lives during WWII.

*From "The Story of the Battle Standard"
 
KP is fantastic and the opportunities for it's graduates are limitless.

Having said that, the significant difference in how it's midshipmen are categorized;( No military service credit, No federal employment service credit, No medical insurance, No pay while attending, not considered active duty while the other four are etc. etc. ) Are not minor differences. This is a group of factors for any prospective student to consider when evaluating which service academy is best suited to their particular "Service to Our Country" interest(s).

I am not a student there yet. But, with an appointment offer in hand, am very interested in knowing all I can, and have as many questions answered as I can think of.

I would dare say, the topic of these significant differences is probably more of an unknown to the average American than even the USMMA itself.
 
KP pay

Although you do not draw a salary while you are a student .... you will be paid by the shipping companies during sea year. Also, while you do not get unlimited medical care at the government's expense there is a medical facility that can take care of almost all your needs. It is recommended that you keep your health insurance in case something catastrophic happens.
 
KPMarineopsdad said:
Although you do not draw a salary while you are a student .... you will be paid by the shipping companies during sea year. Also, while you do not get unlimited medical care at the government's expense there is a medical facility that can take care of almost all your needs. It is recommended that you keep your health insurance in case something catastrophic happens.
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Thank You. Yes, I did understand that component. I have started another thread about Sea Year pay/insurance to explore that.
 
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