TRICARE Women's Health Care & Coverage Guide (2026) | TRICARE.com

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## Quick answer TRICARE covers a comprehensive range of women’s health services, including annual well-woman exams, birth control, pregnancy care, and cancer screenings with $0 out-of-pocket costs for most beneficiaries. While active duty service members pay nothing, other beneficiaries may have small copays for specialty visits or non-preventive diagnostic services depending on their plan.

Details

TRICARE categorizes women’s health into three main buckets: preventive care, maternity care, and specialty gynecological services.

### Preventive Services (Well-Woman Exams) Under the Affordable Care Act guidelines adopted by the Defense Health Agency, TRICARE covers annual well-woman exams for women under age 65 with no cost-share or copayment, as long as the provider is in-network.

* **Breast Cancer Screenings:** 2026 rates for routine screening mammograms are $0 for women starting at age 40 (or earlier if high-risk). * **Cervical Cancer Screenings:** TRICARE covers Pap tests and HPV testing starting at age 21. * **Bone Density Runs:** Covered for post-menopausal women and those at high risk for osteoporosis.

### Birth Control and Contraception As of 2026, TRICARE has eliminated cost-sharing for all reversible medical contraceptives (like IUDs, hormonal implants, and injections) for beneficiaries in TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select. * **Pharmacy:** Generic prescription contraceptives are available for $0 copay at Military Treatment Facility (MTF) pharmacies or via TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery (Express Scripts). * **Permanent Birth Control:** Tubal litigation is fully covered; however, reversal procedures are generally not covered unless medically necessary for a separate condition.

### Maternity and Reproductive Care TRICARE provides robust coverage for pregnancy, from prenatal visits to delivery and postpartum care. * **Maternity Costs:** Active duty family members on TRICARE Prime pay $0 for maternity care. Those on TRICARE Select may pay a small per-day cost for hospital stays (2026 rates vary by status—check TRICARE.mil for specific Group A vs. Group B rates). * **Breastfeeding Support:** TRICARE covers one manual or electric breast pump per birth event and up to six sessions of lactation counseling. * **Infertility:** Coverage is limited. TRICARE generally covers the diagnosis of infertility but does not cover many treatments like IVF unless the infertility is due to a specific service-connected injury.

### Mental Health and Specialty Care * **Postpartum Depression:** Screenings are covered as part of routine postnatal care. * **Pelvic Health:** Physical therapy for pelvic floor dysfunction is covered when referred by a provider.

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs):** All care is $0; must use MTFs or have referrals. * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs):** $0 for preventive care; small copays for specialty visits if on Select. * **Retirees and their Families:** Subject to enrollment fees and copays, though preventive screenings remain $0. * **National Guard and Reserve:** Covered under TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS). * **Survivors:** Maintain eligibility based on their sponsor's status at the time of death.

## Sources 1. **TRICARE.mil - Women's Health:** https://www.tricare.mil/HealthWellness/WomensHealth 2. **Humana Military (East Region):** https://www.humanamilitary.com/beneficiary/health-and-wellness/wellness-resources/womens-health 3. **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West Region):** https://www.triwest.com/ 4. **TRICARE Pharmacy (Express Scripts):** https://militaryrx.express-scripts.com/