How to Join TRICARE: Eligibility and Enrollment Guide | TRICARE.com

*Disclaimer: TRICARE.com is an independent reference site and is not the official TRICARE program or a government entity. For official policy, visit TRICARE.mil.*

## Quick answer Joining TRICARE is not something you "sign up" for at a local office; it is an automatic benefit triggered by your military status being registered in the **Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)**. Once your status is active in DEERS, you must then choose and enroll in a specific health plan, such as TRICARE Prime or Select, depending on your location and service status.

In detail

The process of "joining" TRICARE happens in two distinct stages: Eligibility and Enrollment.

### 1. Establishing Eligibility (DEERS) Before you can enroll in a plan, the Department of Defense must recognize you as a beneficiary. This happens through DEERS. * **Sponsors:** Your service branch automatically updates DEERS when you join. * **Family Members:** The sponsor must manually add dependents to DEERS at a RAPIDS ID card office. You will need official documents like marriage licenses or birth certificates. * **Verification:** You can check your status online via the MilConnect website.

### 2. Choosing and Enrolling in a Plan Once eligible, you must take action to join a specific plan. If you do not enroll, you may only be covered for care in military hospitals on a "space-available" basis, which is not comprehensive coverage.

#### TRICARE Prime (Managed Care) * **What it is:** Similar to an HMO. You have a Primary Care Manager (PCM) who handles your care and referrals. * **How to join:** Submit an enrollment application via the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) portal or call your regional contractor (Humana Military in the East; TriWest in the West). * **Costs (2026):** Active duty service members and their families pay $0 enrollment fees. Retirees pay annual enrollment fees (e.g., approximately $394.50 for individuals or $789 for families in 2026 for Group A retirees).

#### TRICARE Select (PPO-Style) * **What it is:** A self-managed plan where you can see any TRICARE-authorized provider without a referral. * **How to join:** Enrollment is required. You can switch to Select during an Open Season or after a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). * **Costs (2026):** Active duty family members have no enrollment fee but pay various copays. Retirees pay an annual enrollment fee (approximately $190.50 individual / $381 family for Group A in 2026).

### 3. Regional Contractors Your "join" process will be managed by one of two contractors based on where you live: * **East Region:** Humana Military * **West Region:** TriWest Healthcare Alliance (as of the T-5 contract effective Jan 1, 2025)

| Plan Type | Enrollment Required? | Primary Care Manager (PCM)? | Best For | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Prime** | Yes | Yes (Assigned) | Low out-of-pocket costs | | **Select** | Yes | No (Self-refer) | Maximum provider choice | | **For Life** | No (Auto) | No | Those with Medicare Part A & B |

## Who this applies to * **Active Duty Service Members:** Automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime. * **Active Duty Family Members:** Must choose between Prime and Select; eligibility starts when added to DEERS. * **National Guard/Reserve:** Eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select (requires monthly premiums) while in a non-activated status. * **Retirees:** Must take action to "join" a retiree plan within 90 days of retirement or wait until Open Season. * **Young Adult Dependents:** May join TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) up to age 26 if they are not married or eligible for employer-sponsored care.

Common scenarios

**The New Spouse** Sarah marries an active-duty soldier in April 2026. To "join," her husband adds her to DEERS at the nearest base. Sarah then uses the MilConnect portal to enroll in TRICARE Select. Because she is an Active Duty Family Member (ADFM), she pays **$0 in enrollment fees** but will have modest copays for specialist visits.

**The Retiring Veteran** Master Sergeant Miller retires in June 2026. His "automatic" active-duty coverage ends. To keep TRICARE, he must "join" TRICARE Prime or Select as a retiree. He chooses TRICARE Prime (East Region). He pays a 2026 enrollment fee of roughly **$394.50** for himself to maintain coverage through Humana Military.

**The Reservist** Staff Sergeant Jones is a drilling Reservist. To join TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), he logs into the DMDC website and schedules a recurring monthly premium payment. For 2026, his individual monthly premium is approximately **$53.00** (rates vary by plan year).

## Related terms * **DEERS:** The database that tracks military members and family eligibility. * **Qualifying Life Event (QLE):** A change (marriage, birth, move) that allows you to join or change plans outside of Open Season. * **Open Season:** The annual period (typically Nov–Dec) when you can join or switch TRICARE plans. * **Sponsor:** The active duty or retired service member through whom family members gain eligibility. * **PCM (Primary Care Manager):** The specific doctor or clinic responsible for your care in Prime plans.

## Sources * TRICARE.mil: Enrollment - https://www.tricare.mil/enroll * Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) - https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/ * Humana Military (East) - https://www.humanamilitary.com/ * TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West) - https://www.triwest.com/