Tricare Eligibility: Who Gets In and Why It Matters
Tricare is the healthcare program serving U.S. military personnel, retirees, and their dependents. It provides medical coverage to its members. The program is managed by the Department of Defense and offers several different plans to meet the varying needs of its beneficiaries, including Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, and others, depending on their eligibility status and location.
1. Uniformed Service Members and Their Families: This includes active duty members, retirees, and their families from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, and Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
2. National Guard/Reserve Members: Members of the Reserves and National Guard who are called to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days become eligible for TRICARE.
3. Retirees: Military retirees are eligible for TRICARE, which often includes TRICARE for Life for those over age 65.
4. Medal of Honor Recipients and Their Families: Recipients of the Medal of Honor and their families are also eligible for TRICARE.
5. Former Spouses: Former spouses who were married to a service member for at least 20 years during the time of active service are eligible under certain conditions.
6. Children: Unmarried biological and adopted children are eligible for TRICARE until age 21 (or 23 if enrolled in college), or longer if they are incapable of self-support due to a condition that occurred before those ages.
To maintain eligibility, veterans must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), which is a database of service members and dependents eligible for military benefits. Your DEERS data can usually be updated online at milconnect.
If you have any questions about Tricare, your local VSO can help you find the right person to contact. As always, feel free to contact us at info@nwavet.org with any questions, or feel free to drop any comments or questions down below.
