Q. I'm a reservist enrolled in Tricare Reserve Select. I am pursuing a career as a federal employee. If that happens, I've been told I would not be able to keep my Tricare coverage and would have to switch to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Is there a grace period for such a switch? And which FEHBP option most closely resembles Tricare Reserve Select?

A. You would indeed have to drop your TRS coverage if you take a job that offers FEHBP coverage. It would not even matter whether you choose to enroll in FEHBP; if your employer offers it, you are ineligible for TRS.

  • May 08, 2019 TRICARE Reserve Select is a premium-based health plan for Selected Reserve members (and their families) who qualify. Purchasing TRICARE Reserve Select is a two-step process. Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) members including Navy Reserve Voluntary Training Units (VTU) don't qualify. Step 1: Qualify. Log on to the Beneficiary Web.
  • ®(TRS) and TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) Qualify and Purchase Selected Reserve members of the Ready Reserve may qualify for TRS TRS and retired Reserve members may qualify for TRR if they are: Not eligible for or enrolled in Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program Log on to the. Reserve Component Purchased TRICARE Application.

You can end your TRS coverage at any time, effective at the end of any month you specify. To do that, go online and log on to the Defense Manpower Data Center DMDC Reserve Component Purchased TRICARE Application, then follow the instructions to 'Disenroll.'

Operate and maintain the Reserve Component Purchased TRICARE Application. Provided to the DMDC pursuant to DoD Manual 7730.54-M, Volume 1 (Reference (e.

Print, sign and mail or fax your completed DD Form 2896-1 to the managed-care contractor for your Tricare region. Contacts for all Tricare regional contractors is here.

Again, the effective end date is either the last day of the month in which the request is postmarked or received, or the last day of a future month specified by you. This lets you coordinate the timing of your TRS disenrollment so you have little or no break in coverage when you pick up FEHBP coverage.

It's important not to delay informing your Tricare regional contractor that you'll be leaving TRS.

TRS is modeled on Tricare Standard, a 'fee-for-service plan' that lets you see any network provider that accepts Tricare. The FEHBP has similar plans; get more details about comparable options here.

Sign up for the Early Bird Brief
Get the military's most comprehensive news and information every morning
Thanks for signing up!

Sign up for the Early Bird Brief - a daily roundup of military and defense news stories from around the globe.

By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Early Bird Brief.

The Aug. 31 Tricare Help column inaccurately characterized Tricare Young Adult eligibility for college students over age 21. The correct information follows.

Q. I have Tricare coverage through my parents. I'm a full-time college student who will turn 21 very soon. I may need to drop a class because I've been sick and falling behind. That would put me under 12 semester hours. Would this bar me from Tricare Young Adult eligibility after I hit 21?

A. Tricare does not determine full-time student status; individual schools do that, so check with your school. If dropping that class indeed would make you a part-timer, then you'd lose eligibility for ordinary Tricare Prime or Standard upon turning 21.

But children of Tricare sponsors remain eligible for Tricare Young Adult until age 26 regardless of student status, as long as they stay single and have no access to other health coverage, such as through an employer.

Email tricarehelp@militarytimes.com. Include the word 'Tricare' in the subject line.

TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) is a premium-based, worldwide health plan that qualified retired Reserve members and survivors may purchase.

Plan Overview
TRR offers comprehensive health coverage from any TRICARE-authorized provider, network or non-network. Referrals are not needed for any type of care but some services may require prior authorization. The type of provider you see determines how much you’ll pay out-of-pocket. If you’re visiting a network provider, you’ll pay less out of pocket and the provider will file claims for you. You may receive care in military treatment facilities on a space-available basis.

Monthly Premiums
The monthly premium amount is based on the type of coverage you select when you complete the Reserve Component Health Coverage Request Form (DD Form 2896-1):

  • TRR Member-Only coverage: $408.01 per month
  • TRR Member-and-Family coverage: $1,020.05 per month

Premium amounts may be adjusted annually, effective January 1 each year, in accordance with applicable legislation. Note:The law requires members to pay the full cost of coverage under TRR with no government subsidy.

Step 1: Qualify
Retired Reserve members may qualify if they are:

User
  • Members of the retired Reserve of a Reserve Component who are qualified for non-regular retirement under 10 U.S.C., Chapter 1223
  • Under age 60
  • Not eligible for, or enrolled in, the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program

Survivors of retired Reserve members may qualify if all of the following applies:

  • The sponsor was covered by TRR on the date of his or her death.
  • They are immediate family members of the deceased sponsor (spouses cannot have remarried).
  • TRR coverage would begin before the date the deceased sponsor would have turned 60 years old.

Note:Survivor coverage is not affected by FEHB eligibility

To qualify for TRR:

  • Log on to the DMDC Reserve Component Purchased TRICARE Application. You must have either a:
    • Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC),
    • DFAS (MyPay) Account, or
    • DoD Self-Service Logon (DS Logon) Premium (Level 2) account. The DS Logon Premium (Level 2) account is given to a user who has registered using their CAC or DFAS myPay Login ID or who:
      • Completes the remote proofing by calling the DEERS/ DMDC Support Office (DSO) at 1-800-538-9552 or 1-866-363-2883 for the hearing impaired
      • You must have a retired military ID card to complete the remote TRR proofing process. Hours of Operation are Monday through Friday 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time.
      • View all frequently asked questions about getting a DS Logon.
  • Select 'Purchase Coverage' and follow the instructions.
    • If you certify that you are eligible for or enrolled in FEHB, you do not qualify and cannot purchase TRR.
    • If you certify that you are NOT eligible for or enrolled in FEHB, you will be guided through the process of selecting a TRR start date and electing which family members you want covered.
  • Print and sign the completed Reserve Component Health Coverage Request Form (DD Form 2896-1).

Note:If you do not qualify, you will not be able to complete or print the form. Please contact your National Guard or Reserve personnel office for assistance. If you experience a technical problem, call1-800-477-8227 for assistance.

Step 2: Purchase
Mail the completed and signed Reserve Component Health Coverage RequestForm (DD Form 2896-1) with the premium payment amount printed on the form (minimum of two months’ premiums) to your regional or overseas contractor by the applicable deadline.

You may purchase TRR coverage to begin in any month of the year. The application form must be postmarked or received no later than the last day of the month before coverage is to begin. Coverage begins on the first day of the first or second month (whichever you select on the form).

Dmdc Reserve Component Purchased Tricare Application User Manual

If you qualify based on loss of other TRICARE coverage, changes in family composition or for TRR survivor coverage, your application deadlines and effective dates of coverage will vary.

1. Loss of Other TRICARE Coverage: If you lose coverage under another TRICARE health care plan (i.e. TRICARE Reserve Select) and qualify for TRR, you may purchase TRR with no break in coverage. Your application must be postmarked or received no later than 30 days after the loss of the other TRICARE coverage, and TRR begins on the day after you lose your prior TRICARE coverage.

Dmdc Reserve Component Purchased Tricare Application User Manual

2. Change in Family Composition: If your family composition changes (e.g., marriage, birth, adoption, death), you may purchase or change existing TRR coverage. Your application must be postmarked or received no later than 60 days after date of the change, and TRR coverage date coincides with the date of change in the family.

3. Survivor Coverage: If you have TRR coverage when your sponsor passes away, you may purchase or continue TRR until the day your sponsor would have turned age 60.

Dmdc Reserve Component Purchased Tricare Application User Manual Download

    • If you have TRR member-and-family coverage at the time of your sponsor’s death, DEERS will automatically convert it to TRR survivor coverage. To opt out of TRR survivor coverage, a written letter or a Reserve Component Health Coverage RequestForm (DD Form 2896-1) must be postmarked or received no later than 60 days after the date of your sponsor’s death. Premiums will be refunded if there have been no claims for health care submitted during this 60-day period.
    • If your sponsor had TRR member-only coverage at the time of his/her death, you may qualify to purchase TRR survivor coverage. Your application must be postmarked or received within 60 days of your sponsor’s death, and TRR survivor coverage will be effective on the date your sponsor died.

Dmdc Reserve Component Purchased Tricare Application User Manual Youtube

Out-of-Pocket Costs
After you’ve met an annual deductible, you’re responsible to pay a cost-share (or percentage). Here’s a quick snapshot of TRR costs:

Type of Provider

Outpatient Cost Share

Inpatient Cost Share

Network Providers

20% of the negotiated rate

$250 per day or 25% of billed charges for institutional services,

whichever is less, plus 20% cost-share for separately billed services.

Non-Network Providers

25% of the TRICARE allowable charge

$535 per day or 25% of billed charges for institutional services, whichever is less, plus 25% cost-share for separately billed services

Dmdc Reserve Component Purchased Tricare Application User Manual Online

Is TRICARE Retired Reserve Right for You?
TRR may be the right option for you and your family if you qualify. The plan provides comprehensive health care coverage upon your retirement and you do not have to wait until you reach age 60 and begin drawing retired pay to purchase the plan. Plus, because you can see any provider, you don’t have to change providers if you already have one.