Will I lose Tricare after my divorce?
December 16th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
My husband is retired from the Navy. After being married for 26 years, he has decided he wants to divorce me. We were married 16 of the years he was active duty. Will I lose my Tricare when we divorce? I have lots of medical problems and I don’t know what I would do without medical coverage.
For a former spouse to retain Tricare eligibility following divorce, the marriage must have endured for a period of at least 20 years during which the uniformed service sponsor was on active duty.
As determined from the information in your letter, I believe you will lose your Tricare eligibility on the day your divorce is final.
Please confirm the above and get official information regarding your personal situation by calling the DEERS Support Office at 1-800-538-9552. DEERS is a federal agency under the auspices of the Defense Department.
There is a commercial health insurance policy available that provides coverage similar to that of Tricare Standard for short-term periods. It is called the Continuing Health Care Benefit Program.
I regret that I cannot give you better news.
Can I buy into Tricare?
October 25th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
As a gray-area reserve retiree, can I buy into Tricare Standard or Tricare Prime? If so, can I cover both my wife and myself?
Tricare eligibility is established by federal law for designated categories of people. Only the uniformed services have the authority to determine whether a given individual meets the legal criteria for Tricare eligibility, to register an eligible person in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, and to issue an appropriate uniformed service identification card.
On the back of that card, the word “YES,” in the section concerning eligibility for civilian medical care, is proof of Tricare eligibility.
The limited information in your letter does not show whether you and your wife meet the criteria for Tricare eligibility or other retired uniformed service benefits, such as the right to receive retired pay. You can quickly learn, officially, whether you qualify for retiree benefits, including Tricare, by calling the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552.
DEERS is a federal agency under the auspices of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. It is charged with maintaining a registry of uniformed service beneficiaries and the benefits for which each person is eligible, if any.
Please note that DEERS cannot create eligibility if none exists. Its authority is limited to a determination of whether your uniformed service history meets the eligibility criteria established by existing federal law.
There is a commercial health insurance plan created with the cooperation of the Defense Department. It provides coverage similar to that of Tricare Standard. Coverage can be purchased in short-term blocks of a few weeks or months. It was designed to meet the short-term needs of persons who have recently lost Tricare eligibility for whatever reason, such as marriage, divorce, discharge, etc. The plan is called the Continued Health Care Benefit Program.
Can I keep Tricare for my family after I leave the Army?
September 7th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
I’m getting discharged from the Army under honorable conditions. How long after my discharge date is my dependent covered by Tricare? And how much would it cost for me to purchase coverage from Tricare?
Tricare eligibility is established by federal law for designated categories of persons depending on their relationship with one of the uniformed services. Once that relationship is severed by discharge, the Tricare eligibility of the service member and his/her family is lost at midnight on the date the separation is final.
Tricare is not an insurance policy; it is a federal health benefits program, so it cannot be purchased.
But the news isn’t all bad. The Defense Department has developed a commercial health insurance plan designed to be similar to Tricare Standard coverage. It’s not cheap, but it can be purchased in short-term parcels. The plan is called the Continued Health Care Benefit Program.
Can I get something like COBRA after my divorce?
July 1st, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
Q. I am currently married to an Army reservist and covered under Tricare. After my pending divorce, will I be eligible for Tricare, even at an increased rate, for a limited period of time? I am thinking of something similar to COBRA in the civilian world.
You may be able to retain Tricare eligibility after your divorce, if you were married to the same military sponsor for at least 20 years during which time the sponsor accrued credits toward retirement. You don’t mention in your letter if that is the case.
If you do not meet that requirement, it is most likely that you will lose all Tricare eligibility for medical care received after midnight on the day the divorce is final.
Several years ago, however, the Defense Department helped create a commercial health insurance plan called the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP). Similar to the civilian COBRA plan in its intent, it provides benefits closely similar to those of Tricare Standard which can be purchased in short blocks of time.
For official information regarding your particular situation, please call the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552.
Husband leaving active duty just a few weeks before baby is due
May 13th, 2011 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
I have recently found out I am pregnant. My husband is active-duty military and he gets out October 22. My due date is November 3. I am trying to figure out if my entire pregnancy will be covered. I know that I will be covered until the 22nd, but what about after?
When your husband is discharged, you will lose all your health care benefits under Tricare at midnight of that day, although you are at term in your pregnancy. It is a matter of federal law.
Tricare does not have the authority to extend eligibility for any reason, even if you are in labor. (No, you would not be put out on the lawn to deliver, but there would be charges for your and the baby’s care after midnight on the date of your husband’s discharge.)
If longer care is needed, however, I believe the military hospital will make efforts to transfer you and the baby to a civilian hospital. That could present a problem because you will have no health insurance. You may want to discuss that possibility with the Patient Administration Office at your military hospital.
For confirmation of this information, or for answers to any questions you have regarding Tricare eligibility, please call the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552.
Your husband may be able to solve the problem with help from his Personnel Section. He might be able to extend his enlistment for a period long enough for your baby to be born and for you to receive any postnatal care that might be necessary. There is always a possibility, however remote, that some form of newborn care might be required also.
If your husband is unable to extend his enlistment, or if he chooses not to do so, there is an alternative.
There is a commercial health insurance plan created especially by the Defense Department for people who recently lost their Tricare eligibility for whatever reason. It is called the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP). It provides coverage similar to Tricare Standard, but it can be purchased in short-term blocks of a few weeks at a time.
As it is a commercial health insurance plan, there is a premium charged for coverage. Because it provides benefits similar to the very broad coverage of Tricare Standard, it is not cheap: $988 per quarter for individual coverage, and $2,213 per quarter for family coverage.
You can learn more about CHCBP online, or by calling plan’s office, toll-free, at 1-800-444-5445.
Can my two adult sons’ Tricare be restored?
June 1st, 2010 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
Q. My son has been enrolled in the Continued Military Health Care Benefits Plan. I can no longer afford to continue this insurance. If I discontinue this plan, will my son remain eligible if the new health care plan goes into effect?
Also, my youngest son will turn 21 this summer. He was enrolled in college this spring for only 11 credit hours, which is not considered full time. This means he will lose his eligibility on his 21st birthday. This fall he plans to become a full-time student. Will he be able to reinstate his eligibility under my Tricare Prime?
The new law on extending dependent health care coverage to age 26 has not yet been implemented. It has not yet even been determined whether it applies to Tricare (although legislation has been introduced), so I cannot answer your question about the restoration of your elder son’s Tricare eligibility.
When your younger son is enrolled as a full-time student, his Tricare eligibility should be restored. But restoration will not be automatic. It will be necessary for him his military sponsor to apply for restoration based on his full-time student status.
I recommend that you call the DEERS Support Office for official clarification of the rules and instructions about these matters and help with any administrative actions needed. The toll-free number for that office is 1-800-538-9552.
Continuing coverage for children older than 21
October 20th, 2009 | TriCare Help | Posted by Military Times
Q. Is there a Tricare Prime that can be purchased for our children after they turn 21 so they have health insurance?
Unlike an insurance policy that can be purchased, Tricare eligibility is established by federal law.
Unmarried children are eligible for all Tricare benefits, including Tricare Standard, Tricare Prime, and the pharmacy benefit until the child marries or reaches age 21. There are two exceptions:
- An unmarried child who is a full-time student at an accredited college, university, or trade school may remain eligible for Tricare Standard or Prime and the pharmacy program until the child marries, graduates, or reaches age 23.
- An unmarried child who becomes disabled and incapable of self-support prior to reaching age 21 may remain eligible for Tricare Standard, Prime, and the pharmacy program indefinitely, for as long as the disability endures. If the disability ever improves, however, and the child becomes capable of self-support after age 21, Tricare eligibility is lost and cannot be restored even if the disabling condition recurs later in life.
There is a commercial plan available in short blocks of time designed to form a bridge between the loss of Tricare eligibility — due to discharge, divorce, “aging out” of eligibility, etc. — and obtaining other coverage through employment and the like. You can read more about the Continued Health Care Benefit Program online.
For official information about the Tricare eligibility of children, and confirmation of all the above, please contact the DEERS Support Office, toll-free, at 1-800-538-9552.