TRICARE Enrollment Guide: 2026 Rules & Fees | TRICARE.com

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## Quick answer To get TRICARE coverage, you must first be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) by your sponsor. Once eligible, most beneficiaries must actively enroll in a specific plan—like TRICARE Prime or Select—during the annual Open Season or following a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). Enrollment is managed through your regional contractor: Humana Military in the East or TriWest Healthcare Alliance in the West.

In detail

TRICARE enrollment is not automatic for most non-active duty beneficiaries. While Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs) are automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime, family members and retirees must take specific action to secure coverage.

### 1. The DEERS Requirement Before you can enroll in any plan, your information must be current in **DEERS**. * **Sponsors:** Responsible for adding family members (marriage, birth, adoption). * **Updates:** You must update DEERS immediately if you move, get divorced, or become Medicare-eligible. If your DEERS address is wrong, you may be disenrolled or assigned to the wrong TRICARE region.

### 2. When You Can Enroll There are only two windows for enrollment: * **TRICARE Open Season:** This occurs annually from mid-November to mid-December. Changes made during this time take effect on January 1st of the following year (e.g., changes made in late 2025 take effect Jan 1, 2026). * **Qualifying Life Events (QLEs):** Outside of Open Season, you can only enroll or change plans within 90 days of a QLE. Common QLEs include: * Marriage or divorce * Birth or adoption of a child * Moving to a new zip code * Retiring from active duty * Losing other health insurance

### 3. Regional Contractors (The T-5 Era) As of 2026, TRICARE operates under the "T-5" contract structure. Your enrollment is handled by the contractor assigned to your state: * **TRICARE East (Humana Military):** Covers the eastern half of the U.S. from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast. * **TRICARE West (TriWest Healthcare Alliance):** As of Jan 1, 2025, TriWest manages all Western states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

### 4. Enrollment Fees (2026 Rates) Enrollment fees depend on whether the sponsor’s initial enlistment or appointment was before or after January 1, 2018 (Group A vs. Group B).

| Plan Type | Beneficiary Group | 2026 Individual Fee | 2026 Family Fee | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **TRICARE Prime** | Group A (Retirees) | $391.50/year | $783.00/year | | **TRICARE Prime** | Group B (Retirees) | $530.00/year | $1,060.00/year | | **TRICARE Select** | Group A (Retirees) | $193.50/year | $387.00/year | | **TRICARE Select** | Group B (Retirees) | $599.00/year | $1,198.00/year | | **Active Duty Family** | Group A & B | $0 (No fee) | $0 (No fee) |

*Note: Group A Active Duty Family Members pay $0 for enrollment in Prime or Select. Fees apply primarily to retirees and their families.*

## Who this applies to * **Active Duty Service Members:** Mandatory enrollment in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Prime Remote. * **Active Duty Family Members:** Must choose between Prime (managed care) or Select (PPO-style). * **Retirees and Families:** Must actively enroll and pay annual fees or lose coverage. * **National Guard/Reserve:** Must enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) and pay monthly premiums. * **Young Adults:** Children aged 21–26 must specifically enroll in TRICARE Young Adult (TYA).

Common scenarios

**The New Parent (QLE)** In May 2026, an Active Duty family in San Diego (TRICARE West) has a baby. The sponsor adds the child to DEERS. They have 90 days from the birth to enroll the child in TRICARE Prime or Select. If they miss this window, the child may only be covered for "space-available" care at a military clinic until the next Open Season.

**The Retiring Soldier** A Sergeant First Class retires in September 2026. Her TRICARE Prime coverage as an active duty member ends on her last day of service. She must proactively enroll in TRICARE Prime (Retiree) or TRICARE Select and pay the 2026 enrollment fee (approx. $391.50 for individual Group A Prime) to avoid a gap in coverage.

**The Move (East to West)** A Navy family moves from Norfolk, VA (East) to Bremerton, WA (West). This move is a QLE. They must contact TriWest Healthcare Alliance to transfer their enrollment within 90 days of the move to ensure their primary care manager (PCM) is updated.

## Related terms * **DEERS:** The master database of military members and dependents used to verify TRICARE eligibility. * **Split Enrollment:** When family members live in different TRICARE regions and are managed by different contractors. * **T-5 Contract:** The fifth generation of TRICARE contracts that transitioned West Region administration to TriWest in 2025. * **Group A:** Beneficiaries whose sponsor joined the military before January 1, 2018. * **Group B:** Beneficiaries whose sponsor joined the military on or after January 1, 2018.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil Enrollment Page:** https://www.tricare.mil/enrollment * **Humana Military (East):** https://www.humanamilitary.com/ * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** https://www.triwest.com/ * **Defense Manpower Data Center (DEERS):** https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/