TRICARE, Your Military Health Plan

Children

Biological and Adopted Children
Unmarried biological and adopted children remain eligible for TRICARE until his or her 21st birthday (or 23rd if in college, see "College Students" below) even if the sponsor gets divorced or remarried. 

• When your child "ages out" of TRICARE he or she may qualify to purchase TRICARE Young Adult.
• Coverage may extend beyond the normal age limits if he or she is severely disabled. Check with your local ID Card Office or call 1-800-538-9552 to determine what information is needed to extend a disabled child's eligibility beyond the normal age limits.

It's important to enroll newborns, adopted, and pre-adoptive children in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) as soon as possible.  

Stepchildren
Stepchildren do not have to be adopted for them to be covered by TRICARE.  As long as the sponsor and the parent of the stepchildren are married, the stepchildren are covered by TRICARE.  If the marriage ends in divorce, the stepchildren lose eligibility on the date the divorce decree is final.

If the sponsor adopts his or her stepchildren, and the marriage ends in divorce, the adopted stepchildren remain eligible TRICARE up to age 21 (or 23rd if in college, see "College Students" below) even if the sponsor gets divorced or remarried. 

• When your child "ages out" of TRICARE, he or she may qualify to purchase TRICARE Young Adult.
• Coverage may extend beyond the normal limits if he or she is severely disabled

College Students
For TRICARE coverage beyond the age of 21, children must be enrolled in a full course of study at an approved institution of higher learning and be dependent on the sponsor for more than half of their financial support. Contact the nearest ID card office for information about the necessary documentation needed to extend benefits for your college student beyond his or her 21st birthday.

Regular TRICARE benefits end on the child's 23rd birthday or when he or she is out of school, whichever comes first. If your child leaves school or graduates before his/her 23rd birthday, then regular TRICARE coverage ends. It is important for college students to keep their addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses current in DEERS so they can receive important TRICARE information as well as their explanation of benefits.

• Learn more about TRICARE options for college students.
• When your child "ages out" of TRICARE, he or she may qualify to purchase TRICARE Young Adult.

Surviving Children
When an active duty service member dies while serving more than 30 days on or after October 7, 2001, his or her biological and adopted children will remain eligible for TRICARE as "transitional survivors" until they reach the eligibility age limit, marry or otherwise become ineligible for TRICARE.  As transitional survivors, they will remain eligible for TRICARE benefits as an active duty family member. 

• Learn more about what happens if your sponsor dies.

Note: If the sponsor died before October 7, 2001, surviving children are still eligible for TRICARE, just not with the same coverage as active duty family members. Instead, the coverage is at the same level as retired family members.

Other Scenarios

• Children of current or former service members or their spouses born out of wedlock may be eligible for TRICARE benefits under certain conditions. 
• Babies born to TRICARE-eligible dependent children are not eligible for TRICARE; however, the mother is covered for her maternity care.
• Children placed in the custody of a service member or former service member, either by a court or by a recognized adoption agency in anticipation of legal adoption by the member, may be eligible under certain conditions.