Q. I was medically retired a few months ago at age 58 and went from Tricare Prime Remote to Tricare Standard. I have been notified by Social Security that I will be put on Medicare a few months from now. I know I will then transfer to Tricare for Life, as well as Medicare Part B. Will my dependents remain on Tricare Standard after that, or will they also go on Tricare for Life?
A. Once you transition to TFL, any dependents under your sponsorship may stay with whatever Tricare options they are using now. Your spouse would not transition to TFL until she becomes eligible for Medicare.
If you would like to keep your spouse in Tricare Prime, and she is your only dependent, you would shift from the "family" enrollment rate to the less expensive "single" enrollment rate for her the next time her annual enrollment comes up for renewal. However, if you also have dependent children and want to keep both them and your spouse in Prime, you would have to continue paying the family enrollment rate. Dependent children would remain eligible for Tricare coverage until they hit the normal age limits for dependent children — age 21; age 23 for full-time college students; or age 26 if registered in Tricare Young Adult.
As you note, enrollment in Medicare Part B and payment of the Part B premiums is the bedrock requirement to maintain eligibility for TFL.
Q. We took our son off of our DEERS file when he moved out at age 17. He turned 18 a few months ago and has moved back home to go to school. Can we put him back on our DEERS?
A. Yes. Your son remains eligible to be listed as your dependent in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System under your family sponsor's name until he turns 21, or 23 if he is a full-time college student. After that, he can enroll in Tricare Young Adult, which requires enrollment and payment of monthly premiums, until age 26.
To remain eligible, he must stay single and must not have access to health insurance through his employer. You can get more information from the ID Card/DEERS office on your nearest military installation or by calling the main DEERS support office in California at 800-538-9552.
Email tricarehelp@militarytimes.com. Include the word "Tricare" in the subject line.
