TRICARE, Your Military Health Plan

In This Section:

• DEERS
• Updating Personal Information
• Newborns, Adopted Children and Pre-Adopted Children
• Unremarried Former Spouses
• ID Cards
• Who's Eligible?
• Who's Not Eligible?
• Loss of Eligibility
• Certificate of Creditable Coverage

Loss of Eligibility

Upon loss of TRICARE eligibility, each member of your family will automatically receive a certificate of creditable coverage which serves as evidence of prior health care coverage under TRICARE, so that you cannot be excluded from a new health plan for pre-existing conditions.

All individuals who permanently lose TRICARE eligibility may purchase temporary health care coverage through the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP). CHCBP is not part of TRICARE, but provides similar benefits and operates under most of the rules of TRICARE Standard and Extra.

Eligibility for TRICARE may end for several reasons. (This list is not intended to be all inclusive)

1. Sponsor Separates from Active Duty
When a service member "separates" from active duty, it means he or she "gets out" of the military before retiring. In some cases, the member and family may qualify for transitional health benefits under the Transitional Assistance Management Program. >>Learn More

2. Beneficiary Becomes Entitled to Medicare Part A, but does not Purchase Medicare Part B
Please be aware that if you are receiving Social Security disability benefits, you will become entitled to Medicare Part A beginning the 25th month of receiving Social Security disability payments. The Social Security Administration notifies you of your Medicare entitlement start date. If you do not purchase Medicare Part B when you first become entitled to Medicare Part A, regardless of your age, you will lose eligibility for TRICARE. There are some exceptions to this rule, but we recommend that you purchase Part B immediately to avoid any break in TRICARE coverage. >>Learn More

3. Dependent Child Reaches Age Limit
Children remain eligible for regular TRICARE coverage up to age 21 or age 23 if enrolled in a full course of study at an approved institution of higher learning and is dependent on the sponsor for more than half of their financial support. After "aging out" at 21 or 23, children (up to age 26) who are not married and not eligible for their own employer-sponsored health insurance may qualify for TRICARE Young Adult (based on sponsor's eligibility for TRICARE). >>Learn More

4. Divorce
Upon a divorce, the former spouse will lose eligibility for TRICARE unless he or she meet specific requirements to maintain eligibility for TRICARE as a former spouse. >>Learn More

5. Surviving Spouse, Widow, or Former Spouse Remarries
If a surviving spouse, widow or eligible former spouse remarries, he or she will lose eligibility for TRICARE (unless the marriage is to another TRICARE-eligible sponsor).

6. DEERS Information Not Kept Updated
One way you can temporarily lose coverage is to let your information in DEERS lapse. If you lose eligibility due to inaccurate DEERS information, simply update your information and your coverage is restored. >>Learn More

Does DEERS show you as ineligible?

Is your address correct in DEERS?

Last Modified:March 6, 2012