National Guard TRICARE: Plans, Eligibility, and Costs | TRICARE.com

*TRICARE.com is an independent reference site and is not the official TRICARE program or the Department of Defense. For official policy, visit TRICARE.mil.*

## Quick answer National Guard members and their families have different TRICARE options depending on their military status. When not on active duty, most qualify for **TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)**, a premium-based plan; when activated for more than 30 days, they transition to active-duty benefits like **TRICARE Prime** or **TRICARE Select** at no cost.

Details

Your TRICARE coverage is "status-based," meaning it changes automatically based on your orders.

### 1. Inactive Duty / Part-Time (Drilling Status) If you are a member of the Selected Reserve of the National Guard and not on active duty, you are eligible for **TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)**. This is a premium-based plan that functions similarly to TRICARE Select.

* **2026 Monthly Premiums:** Varies by plan year — check TRICARE.mil for current rates. * **Provider Choice:** You can see any TRICARE-authorized provider, but you pay less out-of-pocket if you use a network provider. * **Exclusion:** You are not eligible for TRS if you are eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program.

### 2. Active Duty (Activated for more than 30 days) When called to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days, you and your family are treated as active duty beneficiaries. * **The Guard Member:** Must enroll in **TRICARE Prime** (or Prime Remote). There are $0 out-of-pocket costs for all covered medical services. * **Family Members:** Can choose **TRICARE Prime** (no enrollment fees or copays) or **TRICARE Select** (no enrollment fees, but involves deductibles and copays for civilian care).

### 3. Pre-Activation and Transitional Coverage * **Early Eligibility:** If you receive "delayed-effective-order" notifications for an activation in support of a contingency operation, you may get TRICARE coverage up to 180 days *before* you report for duty. * **TAMP:** After deactivating from a period of more than 30 days of active duty in support of a contingency operation, you may receive 180 days of premium-free transitional health care via the **Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP)**.

### 4. Regional Management As of 2026, National Guard TRICARE benefits are managed by two regional contractors: * **TRICARE East:** Humana Military. * **TRICARE West:** TriWest Healthcare Alliance. * **Pharmacy:** All National Guard members use Express Scripts for prescriptions.

## Who this affects * **National Guard members** (Selected Reserve) * **Family members** of National Guard personnel (Spouses and children) * **Survivors** of National Guard members * **Transitional members** (Those separating from active service)

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [National Guard/Reserve Plans](https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans/NGR) * **Humana Military (East):** [National Guard Benefits](https://www.humanamilitary.com/) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** [Provider Network Information](https://www.triwest.com/) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [TRICARE Reserve Select Costs](https://www.tricare.mil/Costs/HealthPlanCosts/TRS)