TRICARE Deactivation: Coverage & TAMP Rules for 2026 | TRICARE.com

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## Quick answer When a National Guard or Reserve member transitions from active duty back to civilian status, their TRICARE Prime or Select coverage typically ends on the day of deactivation. Most members then qualify for 180 days of premium-free coverage through the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) to help bridge the gap back to civilian or Reserve-specific insurance.

Details

Deactivation refers to the process of a National Guard or Reserve member completing a period of federal active duty service (usually longer than 30 days) and returning to their civilian status. This change in status triggers a "Qualifying Life Event" (QLE), allowing you to change your health plan enrollment.

### 1. The End of Active Duty Coverage On the day your orders end, your coverage as an "Active Duty Service Member" (ADSM) and your family’s coverage as "Active Duty Family Members" (ADFM) terminates. Unless you take action or qualify for TAMP, you will lose TRICARE coverage immediately.

### 2. TAMP: The 180-Day Safety Net Most members deactivating from a period of more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation qualify for the **Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP)**. * **Duration:** 180 days of premium-free TRICARE Select or Prime coverage. * **Eligibility:** Determined by your service branch and reflected in DEERS. * **2026 Costs:** There are no monthly premiums for TAMP, but cost-shares and deductibles apply at the Transitional/Active Duty Family Member rate (e.g., for Group A, the 2026 outpatient deductible remains significantly lower than retiree rates).

### 3. Transitioning to TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) If you do not qualify for TAMP, or when your 180-day TAMP period ends, you must manually enroll in **TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)** if you wish to remain covered by TRICARE. * TRS is a premium-based plan for "gray area" reservists. * **Estimated 2026 TRS Monthly Premiums:** Rates are adjusted annually by the Defense Health Agency. (Check TRICARE.mil for the specific 2026 TRS premium amounts as they are released). * **Requirement:** You must not be eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program to use TRS.

### 4. Contractor Reminders Your region determines who manages your claims and authorizations during this transition: * **East Region:** Humana Military. * **West Region:** TriWest Healthcare Alliance. * **Pharmacy:** Express Scripts continues to manage your prescriptions throughout deactivation and TAMP.

## Who this affects * **National Guard Members:** Returning from federal active duty orders. * **Reserve Members:** Deactivating from federal service. * **Family Members:** Spouses and children enrolled in TRICARE Prime or Select during the member's activation.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil (Deactivating):** https://www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/Deactivating * **TRICARE.mil (TAMP):** https://www.tricare.mil/TAMP * **Humana Military (East):** https://www.humanamilitary.com/ * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** https://www.triwest.com/