Beneficiary category

A beneficiary category is the group you belong to for TRICARE, such as active duty family member or retiree, which determines your plan options.

Applies to: All TRICARE plans · All regions

A beneficiary category is the group TRICARE places you in, based on your sponsor’s status. TRICARE divides people into sponsors (active duty, retired, and National Guard and Reserve members) and family members (spouses and children registered in DEERS).

TRICARE’s eligibility page lists the categories, including active duty service members and families, National Guard and Reserve members and families, retired service members and families, Retired Reserve, survivors, children, former spouses, Medal of Honor recipients and families, dependent parents and parents-in-law, and foreign force members and families. Each has its own page.

Plans, costs, and rules depend on your category, so find yours first. TRICARE does not decide it: your sponsor’s uniformed service does.