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

TRICARE Plus

TRICARE Plus is a program that allows beneficiaries who normally are only able to get care at a military treatment facility (MTF) on a space-available basis to enroll and receive primary care appointments at the MTF within the same primary care access standards as beneficiaries enrolled in a TRICARE Prime option. For example, if available at their local MTF, retirees and retiree family members using TRICARE For Life can enroll in TRICARE Plus and be guaranteed a routine appointment within one week, the same access standard as beneficiaries enrolled in a Prime option.

TRICARE Plus is only available at certain MTFs, and the local MTF commander may limit enrollment to specific categories of beneficiaries. TRICARE beneficiaries enrolled in a Prime option (overseas or stateside), a civilian HMO, or Medicare HMO are not eligible to enroll in TRICARE Plus.

Beneficiaries should contact their local MTF to find out if they may participate in TRICARE Plus. Enrollment into TRICARE Plus at one MTF does not automatically extend TRICARE Plus enrollment to another. The MTF is not responsible for any costs when a TRICARE Plus enrollee is referred outside the MTF for additional civilian care.

Getting Care with TRICARE Plus
TRICARE Plus is not a health plan, it is simply a way to access primary care at MTFs. Your enrollment in TRICARE Plus will be reflected in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), but you can still get care as you normally would through your regular TRICARE plan.  Through TRICARE Plus, you will receive primary care at the MTF with the same access standards as TRICARE Prime enrollees and will pay no out-of-pocket costs.

• TRICARE Plus does not guarantee access to specialty care at the MTF where you are enrolled.
• You may still get care from Medicare and/or civilian providers.  TRICARE Standard and Extra or Medicare rules apply.  For beneficiaries who are entitled to Medicare Part A and who have Medicare Part B coverage, TRICARE is the second payer to Medicare for TRICARE-covered services.
• TRICARE For Life benefits are not affected by enrollment in the TRICARE Plus program. 
  • If eligible, you can participate in both programs.  TRICARE Plus will cover your primary care provided at an MTF and TRICARE For Life will cover care that is not available at the MTF.
  • Having Medicare Part B is not a TRICARE Plus requirement for care within an MTF.  However, access to specialty care is not guaranteed in the MTF.  To access care outside the MTF using TRICARE For Life, you must have Medicare Part B unless you are an active duty family member. 
• Your enrollment in TRICARE Plus will be reflected in DEERS.

Note: You should NOT move non-command-sponsored family members overseas based solely on the potential availability of TRICARE Plus.

Last Modified:March 11, 2010