TRICARE Enrollment Guide: 2026 Deadlines & Steps

To enroll in TRICARE health insurance, you must first be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Once eligible, most beneficiaries can only enroll or change plans during the annual Open Season (mid-November to mid-December) or following a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) like marriage, birth, or retirement.

*Note: TRICARE.com is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with the official TRICARE program or the Department of Defense. Visit [TRICARE.mil](https://www.tricare.mil) for official policy and enrollment portals.*

In detail

TRICARE enrollment is not automatic for most non-active duty beneficiaries. While Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs) are automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime, family members and retirees must actively select a plan.

### 1. The Enrollment Window: Open Season vs. QLEs You cannot change your TRICARE enrollment at any time. There are two primary windows: * **Annual Open Season:** Occurs every year from the Monday of the second full week in November to the Monday of the second full week in December. Changes made then take effect on Jan. 1 of the following year. * **Qualifying Life Events (QLEs):** If you experience a QLE (moving, getting married, having a baby, losing other health insurance, or retiring), you have **90 days** from the date of the event to enroll or change plans.

### 2. Available Enrollment Methods You can enroll using one of three methods depending on your region: * **Online:** Use the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) portal via milConnect. * **Phone:** Call your regional contractor (Humana Military for the East; TriWest Healthcare Alliance for the West). * **Mail:** Download and mail the specific enrollment form for your plan (e.g., DD Form 2876 for TRICARE Prime).

### 3. Regional Contractors (2026 Status) Enrollment is managed by regional contractors under the T-5 contract: * **TRICARE East:** Managed by **Humana Military**. * **TRICARE West:** Managed by **TriWest Healthcare Alliance**. * **Overseas:** Managed by **International SOS**.

### 4. Plan Selection & Costs (2026 Plan Year) Your enrollment choice determines your out-of-pocket costs. TRICARE beneficiaries are divided into Group A (sponsor enlisted before Jan 1, 2018) and Group B (sponsor enlisted on or after Jan 1, 2018).

## Who this applies to * **Active Duty Families:** Must enroll in Prime or Select; otherwise, they only receive care at military hospitals on a space-available basis. * **Retirees and Families:** Must enroll and pay annual enrollment fees to maintain coverage. * **National Guard & Reserve:** Must enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) and pay monthly premiums. * **Young Adult Dependents:** Must specifically enroll in TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) after age 21 (or 23 if a full-time student).

Common scenarios

### Scenario 1: New Child (QLE) A Navy family in San Diego (TRICARE West) has a baby in March 2026. The birth is a QLE. They must register the child in DEERS first, then they have 90 days to enroll the child in TRICARE Prime or Select. Because they are Active Duty, there is $0 enrollment fee.

### Scenario 2: Retirement from Service An Army Major retires in June 2026. Retirement is a QLE. He must proactively enroll in TRICARE Select or Prime within 90 days. For the 2026 plan year, as a Group A retiree, he will begin paying an annual enrollment fee of approximately $377 for family coverage (Select) to keep his insurance active.

### Scenario 3: Moving Regions An Air Force family moves from Florida (East Region) to Washington State (West Region) in 2026. This move is a QLE. They must contact TriWest Healthcare Alliance to transfer their enrollment to the new region within 90 days of the move.

## Related terms * **DEERS:** The database that tracks eligibility; you cannot enroll in TRICARE until DEERS is updated. * **T-5 Contract:** The current regional contract structure that began in 2025, naming TriWest as the West contractor. * **Split Enrollment:** When family members are enrolled in TRICARE across different regions or under different plans. * **Primary Care Manager (PCM):** The specific doctor assigned to you when you enroll in TRICARE Prime. * **Direct Care:** Care received inside a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) rather than from a civilian provider.

## Sources * TRICARE.mil Enrollment Page: [https://www.tricare.mil/enroll](https://www.tricare.mil/enroll) * Defense Health Agency QLE Guide: [https://www.tricare.mil/lifeevents](https://www.tricare.mil/lifeevents) * TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West Region): [https://www.triwest.com](https://www.triwest.com) * Humana Military (East Region): [https://www.humanamilitary.com](https://www.humanamilitary.com)