Health Matters (West) Newsletter
This quarterly newsletter provides information about your TRICARE benefit. This stateside edition contains information specific to beneficiaries living in the West Region. Learn how to find your region.
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Issue 3 | 2026
- TRICARE Open Season begins Monday, Nov. 9
TRICARE Open Season begins Monday, Nov. 9. If you’re eligible for TRICARE, this is your chance to enroll in a health plan or change plans for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2027. You can make eligible changes through Tuesday, Dec. 8. - Know your TRICARE pharmacy options and learn where you can fill prescriptions
Are you looking for other ways to get your prescriptions that better fit your needs? You’re in luck! When it comes to your prescriptions, the TRICARE Pharmacy Program gives you several options for how to fill them. - Turning 65? What you need to know about Medicare and TRICARE For Life
Turning 65 brings important changes to your healthcare coverage. If you’re eligible for TRICARE when approaching your 65th birthday, you may wonder what steps to take next. Be sure to read the notice you were sent five months before your 65th birthday. - Q&A: Understanding the Global Nurse Advice Line
Do you know what to do when you or a family member feels sick, but it’s outside of business hours? Should you go to an urgent care clinic or the emergency room, or wait until your doctor’s office is open? Luckily, TRICARE has a service called the Global Nurse Advice Line that can help when you need healthcare guidance. - Find the right TRICARE provider faster
Finding a healthcare provider should be simple. The West Region provider directory helps you search for doctors, specialists, and clinics near you. You can narrow your results and find a provider who meets your needs with just a few steps. - Reporting other health insurance
If you have any health insurance other than TRICARE, it’s called other health insurance. OHI can be through your employer or a private insurance program. It’s important to keep your OHI updated.
What is TRICARE Open Season and when is it?
The TRICARE Open Season is an annual period when you can enroll in, change, or disenroll from a TRICARE health plan. Each year, it runs from the Monday of the second full week in November through the Tuesday of the second full week in December. In 2026, it will run from Nov. 9-Dec. 8, 2026.
Changes you make during the TRICARE Open Season go into effect January 1 of the following year.
If you don't want to make a change, you don't have to do anything. Your current plan continues next year if you remain TRICARE-eligible.
The TRICARE Open Season applies to:
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Demo in Tampa and Atlanta
- TRICARE Prime Overseas
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas
- TRICARE Select
- TRICARE Select Overseas
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
The TRICARE Open Season doesn’t apply to:
- TRICARE For Life
- TRICARE Young Adult
- TRICARE Reserve Select
- TRICARE Retired Reserve
- Continued Health Care Benefit Program
To learn more, visit TRICARE Open Season.
If you miss the TRICARE Open Season, you can change your enrollment if you have a Qualifying Life Event. These are events such as marriage, divorce, and the birth or adoption of a child. To learn more, visit QLE.
The TRICARE Open Season isn’t the same as the Federal Benefits Open Season. The TRICARE Open Season is for TRICARE health plans. The Federal Benefits Open Season is for Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program dental and vision plans.
Have you checked out the portal recently?
The TRICARE West Region Beneficiary Portal undergoes regular updates and improvements. Have you logged in recently?
Don’t have an account yet? It’s easy to join. Visit Education Resources to watch a short video and explore a quick reference guide on signing up for and using the beneficiary portal.
Last Updated 10/22/2026