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Whether you’ve landed your first post-deployment civilian job or you’re on your way to one, you’re going to navigate employee benefits. Under TRICARE, you were accustomed to not being
charged premiums and not having out-of-pocket costs for medical care and prescriptions during active duty. Enrolling in health coverage and paying for it through your employer may be a
different story. Here’s a quick overview of what to expect in the civilian world. HEALTH COVERAGE Veterans Affairs benefits should be your first go-to, considering eligible vets receive
coverage for preventive care, inpatient hospital services, urgent and emergency care, mental health services and prescriptions written by or approved by a VA physician. Your comprehensive
benefits coverage is dependent on your priority group, input from your VA primary care provider and medical standards for your health conditions. Some vets may qualify for dental care. If
you apply for VA health care and it’s denied, you will find that your employer’s plan can have intricate rules regarding your monthly premium, out-of-pocket costs for various services and
whether doctor visits are flat fees or a percentage of the total cost with a maximum annual cap. A plan will either be a health maintenance organization (HMO), which is a network of doctors,
hospitals and health care providers, or a preferred provider organization (PPO) to see practitioners in or out of the network. Companies may also provide dental and/or vision plans. MENTAL
HEALTH SUPPORT AND ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Your company may offer mental health counseling, which can be especially useful for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Additional
benefits may include tuition reimbursement, paid time off for volunteering and employee discounts, among others. 401(K) EMPLOYER MATCH Your company’s 401(k) plan provides you with an
investment opportunity toward your retirement. Your employer may match your contributions to a certain extent. An financial adviser may suggest funds to select within the plan. Keep in mind
it relies on pretax dollars; your contributions are deducted from your pay before it’s taxed. Taxes are paid upon withdrawals. If your company offers a match, find out how much and when it
happens. Typically, it’s a percentage, but it may be a dollar amount.