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February 16, 2025
A retiree living in Korea is 100% Space-A for medical services at Military Treatment Facilities i.e. on-base military hospitals. Space-A means you must call the MTF appointment desk in the morning hoping for a same day appointment for acute conditions - chronic conditions are not covered, you must use TRICARE for those. If no appointments are available the day you call, then you call again tomorrow, and on, and on, and on. The exception here is if you are part of the TRICARE Plus Program where you get a PCM. Getting on the Plus program in Korea is almost impossible these days because the two Korea-based facilities that have/had the Plus program are the Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital on USAG Humphreys and the 51st Medical Hospital on Osan AB. Humphreys no longer accepts new requests, and at Osan, which is full, you need a slot to open up (someone falls off the list) before attempting to fill that slot, and there is no wait list for this, so call constantly and ask. All other medical care for retirees is TRICARE or VA FMP. Medication prescriptions can get filled and refilled at MTF pharmacy's (read more here), even the off base prescriptions.
Direct Care is provided by Military Treatment Facility's (MTF). Retirees and dependents in Korea typically must use Direct Care on a Space Available (Space-A) basis, however, if you're lucky enough to be registered at a local MTF who uses the TRICARE Plus Program, Space-A will not apply.
Space-A: As mentioned above Space-A at military medical facilities is same-day, space available for retirees and their families. The Emergency Room is available for emergency care at all times. Space-A means calling the appointment desk in the morning for an appointment that same day. If no appointments are available, try tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. Yes, you must do this every day as Space-A is only for that day. Once an appointment is made, all subsequent appointments for that condition do not require Space-A and will be made as the hospitals appointments allow, or referrals downtown.
Other than Direct Care at an NTF, you may use TRICARE Select Overseas, which is what retirees have when under the age of 65 (TRICARE For Life over 65) with a monthly fee, and is what retirees use to manage your own health care when seeking care from overseas civilian providers, however it is also the qualifying healthcare plan when using the military medical facilities. Read more
TRICARE Plus, mentioned above, is the primary care program that accompanies your TRICARE plan (Select of Life) and is offered at some military hospitals and clinics to give you access for obtaining a Primary Care Manager (PCM) and primary care at your military hospital or clinic. Read more
Policies that govern services to Retirees vary between the MTF's throughout Korea and range from "No Service" at all, to having a PCM, so know your area and know the policies in your areas clinic. Below is information by area as of Oct 2021. We will try and keep it up-to-date, but again... know your area!
Medication prescriptions you can get filled and refilled at MTF pharmacy's (read more here), even the off base prescriptions.
