Loss of Eligibility

You may lose TRICARE coverage for a number of reasons. Examples include:

  • SeparatingSeparating from the military means that you leave the service before you retire. from the service
  • Loss of eligibility due to age
  • Change in marital status

You’ll be notified if and when you lose eligibility for TRICARE. Each person in your family enrolled in TRICARE will receive a notice.

Losing TRICARE coverage means you’ll no longer have minimum essential coverageBasic health care coverage that meets the Affordable Care Act requirement.. To make sure you still have healthcare coverage, you’ll have some choices to make about your health care. Here are a few of your options.

Transitional Assistance Management Program

  • You might qualify for TAMP. 
  • TAMP offers 180 days or transitional health coverage.

Continued Health Care Benefit Program

  • After TRICARE or TAMP ends, you can purchase CHCBP coverage.
  • CHCBP offers an additional 18 to 36 months of coverage when purchased. 

Other Options

You can use:

Dependent children who age out of TRICARE may qualify to purchase TRICARE Young Adult coverage up to age 26.

Reasons for Loss

Your eligibility for TRICARE may end for several reasons. This list isn’t all inclusive.

Reasons for Loss

Description

Sponsor separates from active duty
  • When you separate from active duty, it means you left the service before retiring.
  • You and your family may qualify for TAMP.
  • Learn more about separating from the service.
You have Medicare Part A, but you don’t purchase Part B

You may be eligible for Medicare Part A due to your age, disability, or other reasons. If you're getting Social Security disability benefits:

  • You become eligible for Medicare Part A starting on the 25th month of receiving Social Security disability payments.
  • The Social Security Administration notifies you of your Medicare start date.
  • You should purchase Medicare Part B when you first become eligible for Medicare Part A, regardless of your age.

If you don’t purchase Part B when you first become eligible for it, you may lose your eligibility for TRICARE. Learn more about being eligible for Medicare and TRICARE.
Dependent child reaches age limit

Your children can get regular TRICARE coverage up to age 21. If they’re enrolled in college and their sponsor provides at least half of their financial support, they can keep their TRICARE coverage until they turn 23 or graduate—whichever comes first.

After aging out at 21 or 23, they may qualify for TRICARE Young Adult. This will cover them until they turn age 26. Your child’s coverage through TRICARE Young Adult depends on their sponsor’s TRICARE eligibility and other factors.
Divorce

In a divorce, the former spouse will lose eligibility for TRICARE unless they meet specific requirements for former spouses.
Surviving spouse, widow, or former spouse remarries
 If a surviving spouse, widow, or eligible former spouse remarries, they’ll lose eligibility for TRICARE. They can retain TRICARE if they marry another uniformed service member.

Note: The loss of eligibility for TRICARE will also result in the loss of transitional survivor status.
DEERS information not kept up to date 

You can temporarily lose coverage if you let your information in DEERS lapse. If you lose eligibility this way, update your information in DEERS to restore your coverage.

DEERS won’t automatically reenroll you in your other health plans. Contact your regional contractor to reenroll in your other health plans.

Last Updated 11/27/2024