TRICARE Reserve Select: Guide to Rates, Eligibility, and Rules

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## Quick answer TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) is a premium-based health plan for qualified National Guard and Reserve members and their families. It offers comprehensive coverage similar to TRICARE Select, allowing you to see any TRICARE-authorized provider while paying monthly premiums and cost-shares.

Details

TRICARE Reserve Select is specifically designed for "Selected Reserve" members who are not on active duty orders. If you are called to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days, your coverage typically transitions to TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select (Active Duty) at no cost.

### Eligibility Requirements To purchase TRS coverage, you must: * Be a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve. * **Not** be on active duty orders. * **Not** be covered under the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP). * **Not** be eligible for or enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. *Note: Legislative changes have been proposed to remove the FEHB exclusion, but as of 2026, verification of FEHB eligibility remains a core requirement.*

### 2026 Costs and Premiums Because TRS is a premium-based plan, you must pay monthly to maintain coverage.

* **Monthly Premiums (2026 rates):** Varies by plan year — check TRICARE.mil for current rates. (Typically adjusted annually in January). * **Deductibles:** You must pay an annual deductible before TRICARE cost-sharing begins. * **Cost-Shares:** Once the deductible is met, you pay a percentage of the allowed amount for covered services (e.g., 15% or 20% depending on if the provider is in-network). * **Catastrophic Cap:** This limits your maximum out-of-pocket expenses per calendar year for covered medical services.

### How to Get Care TRS functions as a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) model: * **No Referrals:** You do not need a referral for most specialty care. * **Provider Choice:** You can visit any TRICARE-authorized provider. However, using a "Network" provider will result in lower out-of-pocket costs and no "balance billing." * **Regional Management:** Your coverage is managed by **Humana Military** if you are in the East Region, or **TriWest Healthcare Alliance** if you are in the West Region.

### Pharmacy Benefits TRS includes the TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery and retail pharmacy benefits managed by **Express Scripts**. You can fill prescriptions at military pharmacies for free, or use home delivery and retail networks with associated copayments.

## Who this affects * **Selected Reserve members** of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve. * **National Guard members** (Army and Air) while in a non-active status. * **Family members** of qualified Selected Reserve and National Guard members. * **Survivors** of deceased Selected Reserve members (under specific conditions and timeframes).

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [TRICARE Reserve Select Overview](https://www.tricare.mil/trs) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West Region):** [https://www.triwest.com](https://www.triwest.com) * **Humana Military (East Region):** [https://www.humanamilitary.com](https://www.humanamilitary.com) * **Express Scripts (Pharmacy):** [https://militaryrx.express-scripts.com](https://militaryrx.express-scripts.com)