I am a newly military wife and am not sure of the ins and outs of Tricare. I am wanting to get the Gastric Sleeve and have heard that Tricare will not approve one to get the surgery unless it is at a MTF hospital. I currently live overseas but will be moving back stateside in January 2016 and we won't know where we are going until August 2015. I will be visiting my parents this summer and will be temporarily switching my tricare from overseas to prime south. The following are my questions:

1) What are the closest MTF's to or in Florida that do the Gastric Sleeve?

2) Is it a possibility to get the surgery while I am home this summer? I have gone to the nutritionist several times (on record)

3) If this is possible, what will tricare pay for? Hotel, food, transportation?

side note: it seems that it is MUCH more easier to get the bypass with Tricare. I am 24 years old and weight 340, have insulin resistance and PCOS. My husband and I really want to start a family soon. I am trying to decide if the bypass or sleeve is best for me. Any insight would be appreciated!

Try doing a search on Tricare. I see the question pop up every so often. There may be a few threads that can give you the ins and outs.

I had a friend that ended up getting gastric bypass through tricare because they wouldn't approve the sleeve.

I am currently at Fort Gordon and they have staff on hand that can do all three surgeries. While I was doing this process in Alaska they flew me in and out of Anchorage. I'm unsure what travel will be covered CONUS though.

Fort Gordon medical staff seems biased when it comes to which surgery is best for a few of us that have had to attend some of the groups in our program, they all make it well known that the sleeve is favorited procedure. There's tons of backing for their favoritism, and they won't deny you the RNY but it's a case by case basis

I have tricare, my doctor try to talk to them, appeal etc but the sleeve was denied I had a gastric bypass instead and I'm thankful for it.