TRICARE, Your Military Health Plan

In This Section:

• Cancer Clinical Trials
• Questions to ask Your Doctor
• Costs
• Chiropractic Care
• Designated Locations
• Combat-Related Special Compensation Travel Benefit
• Before Traveling for Specialty Care
• Requesting Reimbursement
• Computer and Electronic Accomodations Program (CAP)
• Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP)
• Purchasing CHCBP Coverage
• Getting Care Through the CHCBP
• Filing CHCBP Claims
• Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
• Who May Qualify
• Benefits
• Costs and Coverage Limits
• ECHO Home Health Care
• Autism Services Demonstration
• Foreign Force Member Health Care Option
• Line of Duty/Notice of Eligibility
• Pre-activation Benefit for National Guard and Reserve
• Medical Benefits
• Dental Benefits
• Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP)
• TRICARE Prime Options
• TRICARE Standard Options
• Dental Options
• Transitional Care for Service Related Conditions
• TRICARE Philippine Demonstration
• Philippine Demonstration Designated Areas
• Getting Care under the Demonstration
• Submitting a Waiver Request
• Health Care Costs under the Demonstration
• Filing Health Care Claims under the Demonstration
• TRICARE Plus
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Overseas
• Offices

Who May Qualify?

The Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) is available to the following beneficiaries with a qualifying condition.

• Active duty family members, including family members of  National Guard/Reserves members activated for more than 30 days
• Family members eligible for continued TRICARE coverage through the Transitional Assistance Management Program 
• Children or spouses of former service members who were victims of physical or emotional abuse
• Family members of deceased active duty sponsors during the period they are in transitional survivor status.

Qualifying conditions include:

• Moderate or severe mental retardation
• A serious physical disability
• A physical or psychological condition that causes the beneficiary to be homebound

Children may remain eligible for ECHO benefits beyond the usual TRICARE eligibility age limit (21 or age 23 if enrolled in college full time) as long as the sponsor remains on active duty, the child is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical incapacity that occurs before reaching the age limit, and the sponsor is responsible for more than one-half the child's support.

If you or your provider believes a qualifying condition exists, talk to a case manager or with your regional contractor or TRICARE Area Office (if stationed overseas) to determine eligibility for ECHO benefits.

To begin using ECHO, family members must be enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program and be registered for ECHO with their regional contractor.  There is no enrollment fee for TRICARE ECHO.

Can EFMP enrollment be waived?

Register in DEERS

Last Modified:April 24, 2012