At retirement Tricare is FREE!! I don't pay a monthly premium. Co-pay for a family is $3k then its free!! I don't know where the $450 a month comes from??
Compare the policy to what you'll pay in 18 years from now and think about how nice it will be compared to a civilian policy.
I'm still weighing options. I'm thinking of just doing a 1 year extension at a time if i do it. Then if the bullshit continues the way it has been, i'd only have a few months of having to deal with it.