Quick answers
- Do I need Part B to keep TRICARE at 65?
- Yes, if you're eligible for premium-free Part A and you're a retiree, a retiree's family member, a survivor or an eligible former spouse. Without Part B, TRICARE says you can only fill prescriptions at military pharmacies.
- Does Medicare pay for care at a VA medical center?
- No. VA says it doesn't bill Medicare, and Medicare and VA can't pay for the same service. Each time you get care, you choose which benefit to use.
- Can I use MacDill, Eglin or Naval Hospital Jacksonville with TFL?
- Only if space is available, TRICARE says. Most TFL care in Florida comes from civilian doctors and hospitals that accept Medicare.
- Do I need Part D with TRICARE For Life or VA care?
- Usually not. TRICARE says TFL includes drug coverage, and Medicare's drug guide says VA and TRICARE drug coverage is creditable, so you can join a Part D plan later without a penalty if you join within 63 days of losing it.
- How many veterans live in Florida?
- About 1.3 million, according to the Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey: the second-largest veteran population of any state, after Texas. More than half are 65 or older.
Who this guide is for
Florida has about 1.3 million veterans, the second-largest veteran population of any state after Texas, and more than half of them are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey). Many military retirees settle near the state's bases: Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport, Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Whiting Field in the Panhandle, Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Patrick Space Force Base on the Space Coast and Naval Air Station Key West. This page covers how Medicare works with:
- TRICARE For Life (TFL): military retirees, their family members, survivors and eligible former spouses who have Medicare.
- VA health care: veterans enrolled with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
- CHAMPVA: certain spouses, survivors and dependents of veterans.
Still working with job-based coverage? See working past 65. Retired from a Florida state or local government job? See Florida state retirees and Medicare.
How TRICARE For Life works with Medicare
TRICARE calls TFL Medicare-wraparound coverage. It covers TRICARE-eligible people who have Medicare Part A and Part B, regardless of age or where they live. TFL is automatic: you don't enroll, there's no enrollment card and no enrollment fee. You do pay the Part B premium ($202.90 a month for most people in 2026).
| Your situation | Pays first | Pays next |
|---|---|---|
| Retired, with Medicare and TFL only | Medicare | TRICARE (TFL) |
| You or your spouse still work and have employer coverage | Employer plan | Medicare, then TRICARE |
| You also have a Medigap policy | Medicare | Medigap, then TRICARE |
| Care at a military hospital or clinic | TRICARE | (Medicare usually doesn't pay) |
With Original Medicare, the provider bills Medicare, and Medicare sends the claim on to TRICARE's TFL claims processor. Because TRICARE already pays after Medicare, check what a Medigap policy would add before you buy one.
You can also join a Medicare Advantage plan and keep TFL. The plan pays first and you use its network; TRICARE's TFL handbook says TFL can reimburse copayments for TRICARE-covered services when you file a paper claim. Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra benefits such as dental, vision, hearing or fitness. Extra benefits vary by plan and county, may have limits and costs, and not every plan offers them. Check a plan's Summary of Benefits or Evidence of Coverage.
For 2027, CMS lists 18 Medicare Advantage plans open to everyone in Okaloosa County (Eglin, Hurlburt Field), 52 in Hillsborough County (MacDill), 42 in Duval County (NAS Jacksonville, Mayport), 28 in Escambia County (NAS Pensacola), 19 in Bay County (Tyndall), 45 in Brevard County (Patrick) and 7 in Monroe County (Key West). See your county page.
Why you need Part B
TRICARE's TFL handbook says that once you're eligible for premium-free Part A, Part B is required to stay TRICARE-eligible if you're a retired service member (including retired National Guard and Reserve members drawing retired pay), a retiree's family member, a survivor or an eligible former spouse. That applies whether you have Medicare because of age, a disability or end-stage renal disease. Without Part B, TRICARE says you can only fill prescriptions at military pharmacies.
- Active duty exception: active duty service members and their families don't need Part B while the sponsor serves. TRICARE says to sign up before active duty ends to avoid a break in coverage.
- Timing at 65: if your birthday isn't on the first of the month, TRICARE says to enroll in Part B no later than one month before your birth month. Then check that DEERS shows your Medicare coverage.
- Late penalty: signing up after your Initial Enrollment Period can add 10% to your Part B premium for each full 12-month period you could have had it, for as long as you have Part B.
More on Medicare Part B, enrollment periods and turning 65 in Florida.
Florida's military hospitals and clinics
TRICARE says TFL beneficiaries can get care at military hospitals and clinics only if space is available, so most TFL care in Florida comes from civilian Medicare providers. CMS's hospital data lists two military hospitals in Florida:
| Military hospital | Where |
|---|---|
| Naval Hospital Jacksonville | NAS Jacksonville, Duval County |
| 96th Medical Group hospital | Eglin AFB, Okaloosa County |
Military clinics serve MacDill (6th Medical Group), Tyndall (325th Medical Group), Patrick Space Force Base (45th Medical Group), Hurlburt Field and NAS Pensacola, and Naval Hospital Jacksonville runs branch health clinics at Naval Station Mayport and NAS Key West. Military pharmacies at several Florida bases fill prescriptions for retirees. Call ahead, because services and hours change. See can military retirees on Medicare use base pharmacies?
Prescriptions: TRICARE pharmacy and Part D
TRICARE says TFL includes prescription drug coverage through the TRICARE Pharmacy Program, so you generally don't need Part D. You can fill prescriptions at a military pharmacy, through TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery or at retail network pharmacies.
Weight-loss drugs: TRICARE says that since August 31, 2025, its pharmacy benefit doesn't cover weight-loss drugs for TFL beneficiaries, and that since July 1, 2026, Medicare Part D covers certain weight-loss drugs under the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program. If you need one, compare Part D coverage. See Part D in Florida.
Medicare's drug coverage guide says that for most people with TRICARE, CHAMPVA or VA coverage, unless they qualify for Extra Help, it isn't cost-effective to get Medicare drug coverage. If you have TRICARE and join a Medicare drug plan, the drug plan pays first and TRICARE pays second.
VA health care and Medicare
Medicare.gov says that if you have both Medicare and VA benefits, you can get treatment under either program, but Medicare and VA generally can't pay for the same items or services; each time you get care, you choose which benefit to use. If VA authorizes a non-VA hospital stay but not every service during it, Medicare may pay for the Medicare-covered services VA didn't authorize.
- VA encourages signing up for Medicare at 65. VA says Medicare covers you at non-VA hospitals and doctors, VA funding could change, and a late Part B means a penalty you pay for life.
- VA doesn't bill Medicare. VA says it bills private insurance for non-service-connected care and may bill a Medicare supplement, but not Medicare. Medicare Advantage won't pay for care at a VA facility.
- VA drug coverage is creditable, so you can delay Part D without a penalty if you join within 63 days of losing it. If you join a Part D plan, you can't use both for the same drug.
- Veterans with both TFL and VA: TRICARE says VA facilities aren't Medicare-authorized providers, so for non-service-connected care at VA, TRICARE pays only up to 20% of its allowable charge and you pay the rest. Medicare providers are usually your less expensive choice for that care.
More in do I need Part B with VA care? and can I use VA and Medicare together?
VA medical centers in Florida
| VA medical center | City |
|---|---|
| C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center (Bay Pines VA Healthcare System) | Bay Pines (Pinellas County) |
| Malcom Randall VA Medical Center (North Florida/South Georgia) | Gainesville |
| Lake City VA Medical Center (North Florida/South Georgia) | Lake City |
| Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center | Miami |
| James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital | Tampa |
| Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center | West Palm Beach |
| Orlando VA Medical Center | Orlando (Lake Nona) |
In the Panhandle, the VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System, based in Biloxi, Mississippi, runs Florida clinics including Pensacola, Panama City Beach, a clinic at Eglin AFB and one at Naval Hospital Pensacola. Find the nearest VA location at va.gov.
CHAMPVA
VA says that if you're eligible for Medicare, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B to get or keep CHAMPVA, and that a Medicare Advantage plan also meets that requirement. People eligible for or enrolled in TRICARE can't get CHAMPVA. If you're 65 or older and don't qualify for Medicare, you send VA Social Security's notice of disallowance.
State veterans' homes
The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs runs State Veterans' Homes, mostly skilled nursing homes plus an assisted living facility. Medicare covers short skilled nursing stays after a qualifying hospital stay, but not long-term custodial care. See does Medicare cover nursing home care in Florida? and Florida Medicaid long-term care.
Hurricane season
Retirees on the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast know storms can close base pharmacies and clinics. Keep your Medicare card, TRICARE or VA ID card and a medication list in your go-bag. See hurricanes and Medicare in Florida.
Where Florida veterans can get help
- TRICARE and TFL: tricare.mil/tfl. TRICARE Pharmacy Program: 1-877-363-1303 (TTY 1-877-540-6261).
- VA health benefits: 1-877-222-8387. CHAMPVA: 1-800-733-8387.
- Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs: floridavets.org, for state veterans' benefits and the State Veterans' Homes.
- Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048). Social Security (Part B sign-up): 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
If you're weighing Medicare Advantage or Part D alongside TFL or VA care, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent, or meet licensed insurance agents in Florida.
Sources
- TRICARE — TRICARE For Life
- TRICARE — TRICARE For Life Handbook
- TRICARE — Using TRICARE For Life at Veterans Affairs facilities
- TRICARE — If I have Medicare and TRICARE, do I need Medicare Part D?
- Naval Hospital Jacksonville — Clinics
- Medicare.gov — Who pays first? (Veterans' benefits; TRICARE)
- CMS — Your Guide to Medicare Drug Coverage (Product No. 11109, June 2026)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — VA health care and other insurance
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Veterans turning 65: VA health care, Medicare and TRICARE For Life
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — CHAMPVA benefits
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — VA Gulf Coast health care locations
- CMS — Hospital General Information (military and VA hospitals in Florida)
- U.S. Census Bureau — Veteran Status, Florida (ACS 2024, table S2101)
- Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs — State Veterans' Homes
Every question in this guide
Frequently asked questions
What happens to TRICARE if I don't take Medicare Part B?
If you're eligible for premium-free Part A and you're a retiree or a retiree's family member, survivor or eligible former spouse, you lose TRICARE coverage except prescriptions filled at a military pharmacy. Signing up late can also add a lifelong Part B late penalty.
Can I have TRICARE For Life and a Medicare Advantage plan?
Yes. The Medicare Advantage plan pays first and you use its network. TRICARE's TFL handbook says TFL can reimburse copayments for TRICARE-covered services when you file a paper claim.
How does CHAMPVA work with Medicare?
VA says that if you're eligible for Medicare, you must have Part A and Part B to get or keep CHAMPVA; a Medicare Advantage plan also meets that requirement. People eligible for TRICARE can't get CHAMPVA.
Does Florida have state veterans' nursing homes?
Yes. The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs runs State Veterans' Homes, including skilled nursing homes. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care in any nursing home, so ask the home how stays are paid for.
Does VA drug coverage count as creditable coverage for Part D?
Yes. Medicare's drug coverage guide lists VA and TRICARE drug coverage as creditable, and VA says there's no Part D penalty if you join within 63 days of losing VA or other creditable coverage.
Medicare in your Florida county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Miami-Dade · Broward · Palm Beach · Hillsborough · Orange · Duval · Pinellas · Lee · Polk · Pasco · Brevard · Volusia · Seminole · Sarasota · Osceola · Manatee · Lake · Marion · Collier · St. Lucie · All 67 counties →
