What is TRICARE?

TRICARE is the Department of Defense’s health benefit program for the military community. TRICARE serves active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, retirees, their family members, surviving spouses and certain former spouses worldwide.

TRICARE offers beneficiaries several health care options including the following:


    TRICARE Standard/Extra
    TRICARE Standard/Extra is a fee-for-service plan. This option is available automatically to military retirees and their family members at no cost to them and no enrollment required as long as their information is current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).

    TRICARE Standard/Extra beneficiaries may visit any TRICARE-authorized civilian network or non-network provider. TRICARE Standard works with TRICARE Extra. TRICARE beneficiaries who visit non-network providers are using     TRICARE Standard. Those who visit network providers are using TRICARE Extra. Care at a military treatment facility (MTF) is on a space available basis only. No referral is required but some services may require pre-authorization.

    Those TRICARE beneficiaries who use TRICARE Standard/Extra will have a fiscal year deductible of $150 per person or $300 per family, a 25% cost share under Standard after TRICARE pays 75% or 20% cost share under Extra after TRICARE pays 80% of the negotiated rate and Excess Charges not to exceed the TRICARE Legal Limit.

    TRICARE Standard is available worldwide. TRICARE Extra is only available in the United States.

    Active Duty Family Plan
    Spouses and their eligible unmarried dependent children under age 21 (or 23 if a fulltime student) may use TRICARE Standard/Extra.

    TRICARE Retired Reserves (TRR)
    TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) is premium-based and is available to qualified retired Reserve members, survivors and their family members. TRICARE beneficiaries may use any TRICARE authorized network or non-network provider.

    TRICARE Prime
    TRICARE Prime is the DoD’s “managed care” health care program for the military community. TRICARE Prime provides HMO style benefits with a Point of Service (POS) option. It is available to active duty service members, retired military personnel and their eligible family members.

    The TRICARE Prime Supplement Plans (Plan A and Plan B) available to you are designed to help pay your cost share and copayments.