TRICARE Surviving Family Coverage & 2026 Rates | TRICARE.com

If an active duty sponsor dies, surviving family members remain eligible for TRICARE. For the first three years, spouses are covered at **active duty family member (ADFM)** rates; after three years, they transition to **retiree** rates. Dependent children typically remain covered at ADFM rates until they age out or marry.

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Details

When a sponsor dies, the transition of benefits depends on the sponsor's status at the time of death and how long the survivors have been covered.

### Active Duty Sponsor Death If a sponsor dies while on active duty, the surviving spouse and children are classified as "Transitional Survivors."

* **Spouses:** You receive TRICARE Prime or Select coverage at **Active Duty Family Member (ADFM) rates** for three years from the date of the sponsor's death. This includes $0 premiums for Prime and lower cost-shares for Select. After three years, you remain eligible, but your status changes to "Survivor," and you pay **Retiree rates** (including annual enrollment fees for Prime or Select). * **Children:** Dependent children are covered as "Transitional Survivors" and pay ADFM rates until they age out (usually 21, or 23 if a full-time student) or get married. They do not transition to retiree rates after three years.

### Retired Sponsor Death If a retired sponsor dies, the surviving family members remain eligible for TRICARE as "Survivors." Unlike the active duty scenario, there is no three-year transitional period at lower rates. Survivors of retirees continue to pay **Retiree rates** for 2026.

### TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) and TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) * **TRS:** If a member dies while covered by TRS, the survivors can continue TRS coverage for up to six months after the death. * **TRR:** If a member dies while covered by TRR, the survivors can continue TRR coverage until the day the sponsor would have reached age 60. At that point, the survivors transition to standard survivor benefits.

### Remarriage and Eligibility Eligibility ends for a surviving spouse if they remarry. However, if the remarriage ends (due to death or divorce), eligibility is **not** restored, unless the spouse remarries another service member. Eligibility for children is generally not affected by the surviving parent’s remarriage.

### Dental and Pharmacy Benefits * **Pharmacy:** Surviving families continue to use the **Express Scripts** pharmacy benefit. * **Dental:** For active duty deaths, surviving spouses are eligible for the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) for three years. After that, they may be eligible for the FEDVIP dental program. Children remain eligible for TDP until they age out.

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Family Members:** Spouses and children of members who die on active duty. * **Retiree Family Members:** Spouses and children of deceased retirees. * **National Guard/Reserve:** Families of members who die while in a qualified status or while covered under TRS/TRR.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [Death of a Sponsor](https://www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/Death) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [Survivor Benefits Guide](https://health.mil) * **Humana Military (East):** [Survivor Transition Support](https://www.humanamilitary.com) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** [Beneficiary Services](https://www.triwest.com)