TRICARE Enrollment Guide 2026: Open Season & QLEs

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## Quick answer While TRICARE Open Season typically occurs in late autumn, you can enroll in or change your health plan throughout the year if you experience a **Qualifying Life Event (QLE)**. For those not experiencing a life event, the next annual Open Season begins in November 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027. Active duty family members and retirees must use these windows to switch between TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select.

## In detail The TRICARE enrollment system changed significantly a few years ago, moving from a "continuous enrollment" model to an annual "Open Season" model. Unless you are an active duty service member (who are mandatory Prime enrollees), you must take action during specific times to manage your coverage.

### 1. Annual Open Season Open Season usually runs from the second Monday in November to the second Monday in December. During this time, you can: * **Stay in your current plan:** If you are happy with your coverage, you don't need to do anything. * **Enroll in a plan:** If you are eligible but not currently enrolled, you can sign up. * **Change plans:** Switch from TRICARE Prime to TRICARE Select, or vice versa.

### 2. Qualifying Life Events (QLEs) If you miss Open Season, you cannot change your enrollment until the following year unless you have a QLE. A QLE opens a **90-day window** to make changes. Common QLEs include: * **Marriage or Divorce:** Changing your legal marital status. * **Birth or Adoption:** Adding a new child to the family. * **Moving:** Moving to a new zip code (this is vital now that **TriWest Healthcare Alliance** has taken over the West Region as of 2025). * **Retiring from Active Duty:** Transitioning from active status to retired status. * **Loss of Other Insurance:** If a spouse loses their employer-sponsored health coverage.

### 3. Enrollment Costs (2026 Rates) Costs depend on when the sponsor entered the military (Group A vs. Group B). * **TRICARE Prime:** Generally has no enrollment fees for active duty families. Retirees, their families, and others pay annual enrollment fees (varies by plan year — check TRICARE.mil for current rates). * **TRICARE Select:** Active duty families have no enrollment fees. Retirees (Group A) pay an annual fee ($194.22 individual / $388.44 family - estimates based on 2024-2025 trends; check TRICARE.mil for 2026 specifics).

## Who this applies to * **Active Duty Family Members:** Must choose between Prime and Select and can only switch during Open Season or after a QLE. * **Retirees and their Families:** Must pay enrollment fees for most plans and are restricted to Open Season for plan changes. * **TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) / Retired Reserve (TRR):** These plans are **not** restricted by Open Season; members can typically enroll at any time as long as they maintain eligibility. * **Young Adults:** Those on TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) can also enroll at any time.

Common scenarios

**The Growing Family (QLE)** Staff Sergeant Smith is stationed in the East Region (Humana Military). His wife gives birth on May 16, 2026. This is a QLE. He has 90 days from the birth to register the baby in DEERS and enroll them in TRICARE Prime or Select. If he misses this window, the baby may only be covered for a short period as an "unregistered" beneficiary and he'll have to wait until November's Open Season to fix it.

**The Western Move** Major Miller retires and moves from Virginia to Arizona in June 2026. This move is a QLE. Because he moved into the West Region, he must coordinate his new enrollment with **TriWest Healthcare Alliance** within 90 days. He chooses TRICARE Select to keep his civilian doctor, paying the 2026 retired enrollment fee.

**The Open Season Switch** A retired Chief Petty Officer is currently on TRICARE Select but finds the out-of-pocket costs for specialist visits too high. During the November 2026 Open Season, she logs into the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) portal and switches her family to TRICARE Prime. The change takes effect on January 1, 2027.

## Related terms * **DEERS:** The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System; the database that proves you are eligible for benefits. * **PCM:** Primary Care Manager; the "gatekeeper" doctor required for those on TRICARE Prime. * **Group A:** Sponsors who entered service before January 1, 2018. * **Group B:** Sponsors who entered service on or after January 1, 2018. * **Humana Military:** The current regional contractor for the TRICARE East Region. * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance:** The current regional contractor for the TRICARE West Region (as of Jan 2025).

## Sources * TRICARE Official Site: [https://www.tricare.mil](https://www.tricare.mil) * TRICARE Qualifying Life Events: [https://tricare.mil/LifeEvents](https://tricare.mil/LifeEvents) * Humana Military (East): [https://www.humanamilitary.com/](https://www.humanamilitary.com/) * TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West): [https://www.triwest.com/](https://www.triwest.com/)