How to Change TRICARE Plans: 2026 Guide | TRICARE.com

## Quick answer You can change your TRICARE plan during the annual Open Season (typically mid-November to mid-December) or following a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) such as marriage, birth of a child, or retirement. Changes take effect on January 1 of the following year for Open Season, or the date of the QLE for mid-year changes.

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Details

Unless you are an active duty service member (who must remain in TRICARE Prime), most beneficiaries can switch between TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select.

### 1. The Annual Open Season Open Season is the designated time each year when you can change your enrollment for the upcoming plan year. * **2026 Timing:** Expect Open Season to run from early November to mid-December 2026. * **Effectiveness:** Changes made during this window go into effect on January 1, 2027. * **Action Required:** If you want to keep your current plan, you do nothing. If you want to switch (e.g., Prime to Select), you must submit the change via the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) portal or by calling your regional contractor.

### 2. Qualifying Life Events (QLEs) You do not have to wait for Open Season if you experience a QLE. You generally have **90 days** from the date of the event to make enrollment changes. Common QLEs include: * **Family Changes:** Marriage, divorce, birth, or adoption. * **Moving:** Relocating to a new zip code or moving overseas. * **Employment Changes:** Retiring from active duty or losing other health insurance. * **Eligibility Changes:** Specifically for children aging out at 21 (or 23 if in college) and transitioning to TRICARE Young Adult.

### 3. Costs and Regions When changing plans, be aware of your 2026 enrollment fees and catastrophic caps: * **Group A vs. Group B:** Beneficiaries whose sponsor's initial enlistment/appointment was before Jan 1, 2018 (Group A) typically have lower fees than those who joined after (Group B). * **Regional Contractors:** If you move between the East and West regions, you must transfer your enrollment. * **East Region:** Managed by Humana Military. * **West Region:** Managed by TriWest Healthcare Alliance (as of the T-5 contract transition). * **Split Enrollment:** If family members live in different regions (e.g., a student away at college), you may deal with both contractors.

### 4. Plans Exempt from Open Season Open Season rules do **not** apply to "premium-based" plans. You can purchase or cancel these at any time: * TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) * TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) * TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) * TRICARE For Life (Medicare-wraparound; requires Medicare Part B)

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs):** Can switch between Prime and Select. * **Retirees and their families:** Often switch to Select for more provider flexibility or Prime for lower out-of-pocket costs. * **National Guard and Reserve:** Specifically those transitioning between active status and TRICARE Reserve Select. * **Survivors:** Eligible to change plans during Open Season or QLEs.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [Qualifying Life Events](https://www.tricare.mil/lifeevents) * **Humana Military (East):** [Enrollment Changes](https://www.humanamilitary.com) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** [Beneficiary Services](https://www.triwest.com) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [TRICARE Plan Comparison](https://www.tricare.mil/plans)