TRICARE 101

What is TRICARE?

TRICARE is the uniformed services healthcare program for active duty service members, active duty family members, National Guard and Reserve members and their family members, retirees and retiree family members, survivors, and certain former spouses worldwide.

TRICARE brings together the healthcare resources of the Military Health System—such as military hospitals and clinics—with a network of civilian healthcare professionals, institutions, pharmacies, and suppliers to foster, protect, sustain, and restore health for those entrusted to their care.

Who can get TRICARE?

 

Your service personnel office determines your TRICARE eligibility. Those eligible for TRICARE include:

• Active duty service members and families
• National Guard and Reserve members and families
• Retired service members and families
• Retired Reserve members and families
• Beneficiaries eligible for TRICARE and Medicare
• Survivors
• Children
• Former spouses
• Medal of Honor recipients and families
• Dependent parents and parents-in-law
• Foreign Force members and families

To check your eligibility, first make sure your information is fully updated in DEERS. Then, you can log in to milConnect to check if you’re eligible for TRICARE. Learn more about using milConnect.

Where can I get care?

The Military Health System is a global, comprehensive, integrated system. You may be able to get care from a military hospital or clinic, a civilian network of providers, or TRICARE-authorized non-network providers. This depends on your plan. For more information, visit Provider Types or use the Find a Doctor tool.

Military Hospitals and Clinics

The Department of Defense operates many military hospitals and clinics. You may be able to seek care there, depending on where you are, what plan you have, and your beneficiary category. Learn more about military hospitals and clinics.

Civilian Network

You can also seek care from a civilian network of TRICARE-authorized providers. This network depends on what region you are in. Find your region and learn more about network providers.

To search for a provider in one of our provider directories, use the Find a Doctor tool to get you to the right directory for you.

Note: You may be able to see a non-network TRICARE-authorized providerAn authorized provider is any individual, institution/organization, or supplier that is licensed by a state, accredited by national organization, or meets other standards of the medical community, and is certified to provide benefits under TRICARE. There are two types of TRICARE-authorized providers: Network and Non-Network. DS, depending on your TRICARE plan. But you may have higher costs, and you may have to file your own claims.

How do I find a plan?

  

You have different plan options depending on who you are. Choose the option below that best describes you for more information:

• New active duty service members
• New spouses
• National Guard and Reserve members
• Family members of National Guard and Reserve members
• Foreign force members and families

What plans can I choose from?

There are a number of TRICARE plans available. Remember that your eligibility for these plans depends on who you and your sponsor are. Plan Finder and Compare Plans are useful tools on our website. To learn more about each plan, choose from the list below:

• TRICARE Prime
• TRICARE Prime Remote
• TRICARE Prime Overseas
• TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas
• TRICARE Select
• TRICARE Select Overseas
• TRICARE For Life
• TRICARE Reserve Select
• TRICARE Retired Reserve
• TRICARE Young Adult
• TRICARE Plus
• US Family Health Plan

To see what TRICARE plans you may be eligible for, use the TRICARE Plan Finder.

How do I enroll in TRICARE?

Once you know your plan, visit TRICARE Enrollment for steps on how to enroll or purchase a plan.

How much does TRICARE cost?

Each TRICARE plan has different costs for care and coverage. You can use the TRICARE Compare Costs tool to view and compare costs for covered services, enrollment fees, and plan premiums.

What does TRICARE cover?

You can use the TRICARE Covered Services tool to see if something is covered or not. You can search by keyword or browse common categories.

To check if your prescription drugs are covered, visit the TRICARE Formulary.

Can I get TRICARE worldwide?

Yes, TRICARE is available worldwide. Your benefits are the same no matter where you live.

There are two TRICARE regions in the U.S.:

• TRICARE East
• TRICARE West

And there’s one overseas region with three areas:

• TRICARE Eurasia-Africa
• TRICARE Latin America and Canada
• TRICARE Pacific

Our contract partners help deliver the benefit around the world. There are different customer service contacts for each of our partners.

Does TRICARE offer pharmacy, dental, and vision coverage?

 

TRICARE offers prescription drug coverage and many options for filling your prescriptions. You have the same prescription coverage with any TRICARE health plan. But if you’re enrolled in the US Family Health Plan, you have separate pharmacy coverage.

Dental coverage is separate from TRICARE’s medical coverage. Your dental coverage is based on who you are.

Vision coverage, including eye exams, depends on:

• Who you are
• Your TRICARE plan
• Your age

How do I get started?

1. Confirm your eligibility online or call 800-538-9552.
2. Explore your health plan options.
3. Decide which plan is right for you and enroll (if required).

Where can I find more resources?

 

You can find a number of helpful resources on tricare.mil, including:

• TRICARE Newsroom
• TRICARE Publications
• TRICARE Newsletters
• TRICARE Resources
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Military Hospitals and Clinics
• TRICARE Podcast
• Find a Phone Number

You can sign up for emails to receive TRICARE updates and news releases. You can also follow TRICARE on Facebook and Twitter.