How To Disenroll From TRICARE: Steps & Rules | TRICARE.com

## Quick answer To disenroll from TRICARE, you typically submit a request during the annual Open Season or following a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) using the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) portal or by mailing Form DD 2896-1. If you are an Active Duty Service Member, you cannot disenroll, as coverage is mandatory.

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Details

Disenrolling from TRICARE is not always a "whenever you want" action. The process depends heavily on your status and which plan you are trying to leave.

### The Open Season Rule For **TRICARE Prime** and **TRICARE Select**, you can generally only disenroll during the annual Open Season (which runs from mid-November to mid-December) or within 90 days of a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) like marriage, birth of a child, or retirement. Specifically, if you want to stop coverage because you have gained employer-sponsored insurance, that counts as a QLE.

### Methods to Disenroll 1. **Online:** Use the [Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE)](https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/) portal via milConnect. 2. **By Mail:** Download and mail [DD Form 2896-1](https://www.esd.whs.mil/Directives/forms/dd2500_2999/DD2896-1/) to your regional contractor (Humana Military in the East; TriWest Healthcare Alliance in the West). 3. **By Phone:** Call your regional contractor directly. * **East:** 1-800-444-5445 * **West:** 1-888-TRIWEST (1-888-874-9378)

### Plan-Specific Nuances (2026 Rates & Rules) * **TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) & Retired Reserve (TRR):** These premium-based plans can be terminated at any time. However, if you stop paying your monthly premiums, you will be disenrolled for non-payment and may face a **12-month lockout** from the program. * **TRICARE Young Adult (TYA):** You can request disenrollment at any time. Similar to TRS, if you stop paying premiums without following official termination steps, a 12-month lockout period usually applies. * **TRICARE For Life (TFL):** You generally cannot "disenroll" from TFL in the traditional sense because it is entitlement-based for those with Medicare Parts A and B. To stop TFL coverage, you would have to drop Medicare Part B, which is generally not recommended as it results in a loss of nearly all military health benefits.

### Consequences of Disenrollment If you voluntarily disenroll from a Prime or Select plan outside of a QLE or Open Season, you may be locked out of re-enrolling until the next Open Season. Furthermore, for 2026, most retirees must pay enrollment fees; if you disenroll and then later re-enroll, ensure you understand if your "Group" status (Group A vs. Group B) changed your fee structure.

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs):** Can disenroll from Prime/Select but must have other coverage (or wait for Open Season). * **Retirees and their Families:** Can disenroll but may face lockouts. * **National Guard and Reserve:** Can disenroll from TRS/TRR at any time. * **Young Adults (under 26):** Can disenroll from TYA at any time. * **Active Duty Service Members:** **CANNOT** disenroll. Coverage is mandatory by law.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [Stopping TRICARE Coverage](https://www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/StoppingTRICARE) * **Humana Military (East):** [Enrollment & Disenrollment Info](https://www.humanamilitary.com/beneficiary/enrollment) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** [Plan Management](https://www.triwest.com/) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [Qualifying Life Events (QLEs)](https://www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents)