Losing or Gaining Other Health Insurance

Event:

Qualifying Life Event?

Losing or gaining other health insuranceHealth insurance you have in addition to TRICARE, such as Medicare or an employer-sponsored health insurance. TRICARE supplements don’t qualify as "other health insurance." 

Yes.

You have 90 days after you lose or gain other health insurance to change your TRICARE health plan.

Any health insurance other than TRICARE is called "other health insurance." If you lose or gain other health insurance through your employer or a private insurance program, that is a QLE allowing you to make changes to your TRICARE coverage.

Keep Your Information Updated

It’s important to keep your other health information updated.

Tell your TRICARE contractors and doctors when you gain other health insurance.

  • If TRICARE gets your claim before your other health insurance processes it, TRICARE will deny it.
  • If TRICARE pays first and then discovers you had other health insurance, TRICARE will take back any payments made. They will only reprocess your claim after your other health insurance does.

If you lose other health insurance, TRICARE becomes your primary payer.

  • If you have TRICARE for Life, TRICARE becomes the second payer after Medicare.
  • You must inform your doctor and contractor by completing and returning this form.
    • Failure to tell your doctor or contractor may result in TRICARE denying your claims.

Visit Using Other Health Insurance for more details.

Learn more about other Qualifying Life Events

Retiring Seperating
Having a Baby Getting Married
Moving Getting Divorced
Becoming Medicare Eligible Going to College
Child Becomes an Adult Death in the Family
Moving When Deploying Injured on Active Duty
Activating Deactivating

 

Last Updated 6/12/2023