Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a member of the Uniformed Services. Are my parents and parents-in-law eligible for TRICARE?

No.  If your parents and parents-in-law meet your Service's criteria to become your dependents, they may:

• Get care at a military hospital or clinic on a space available basis;
• Get their drugs at a military pharmacy; and 
• May enroll in TRICARE Plus (if available).

TRICARE won’t pay for care from civilian providers for your dependent parents and parents-in-law. This is true even when referred by the military hospital or clinic.

If they have Medicare Part A because of age and have Part B, they may get drugs at TRICARE network pharmacies or through home delivery.

Note: Dependent parents and parents-in-law who turned 65 before April 1, 2001, don’t need to sign up for Medicare Part B.

To learn how to make your parents and parents-in-law your dependents, contact the DFAS Secondary Dependency Office based on your branch of service.