TRICARE Standard Discontinued: 2026 Replacement Guide | TRICARE.com

## Quick answer TRICARE Standard was officially discontinued on January 1, 2018, as part of a major military healthcare overhaul. It was replaced by **TRICARE Select**, a self-managed, preferred provider organization (PPO) plan that offers similar freedom of choice but with a different fee structure.

## Details TRICARE.com is an independent reference site; for official policy and enrollment, visit [TRICARE.mil](https://www.tricare.mil).

The transition from "Standard" to "Select" wasn't just a name change; it introduced new cost categories based on when the sponsor joined the military and shifted the program toward a fixed-copay model for many services rather than simple percentage-based cost-sharing.

### The Replacement: TRICARE Select If you were previously a TRICARE Standard user, you were likely transitioned to TRICARE Select. Under this plan: * **No Referrals:** Like TRICARE Standard, you do not need a referral for most specialty care. * **Provider Choice:** You can see any TRICARE-authorized provider, though you pay significantly less if you use a "Network" provider. * **Management:** In the East Region, this is managed by Humana Military. In the West Region, as of 2025, this is managed by TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

### Group A vs. Group B The discontinuation of Standard introduced two tiers of beneficiaries that determine your 2026 costs: * **Group A:** Sponsor’s initial enlistment or appointment was before January 1, 2018. * **Group B:** Sponsor’s initial enlistment or appointment was on or after January 1, 2018.

### Enrollment Fees (2026 Rates) Unlike the old TRICARE Standard (which often had no enrollment fee for retirees), TRICARE Select now requires annual fees for most retired beneficiaries. * **Retirees (Group A):** For 2026, the enrollment fee is approximately $177.96 per individual or $355.92 per family (subject to annual COLA adjustments). * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs):** There is still no enrollment fee for TRICARE Select.

### What happened to TRICARE Extra? TRICARE Extra was also discontinued alongside TRICARE Standard. The two programs were essentially merged into the single TRICARE Select offering. The "Extra" benefit—which provided a discount for using network providers—is now the standard "Network" rate within TRICARE Select.

## Who this affects The discontinuation of TRICARE Standard and the move to TRICARE Select affects: * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs):** Who prefer not to use TRICARE Prime and want to manage their own specialty care. * **Retirees and their families:** Both under and over age 65 (though those over 65 typically transition to TRICARE For Life). * **National Guard and Reserve members:** Who utilize TRICARE Reserve Select (which functions similarly to the Select model). * **Survivors:** Dependent family members of deceased service members.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** TRICARE Select Overview - [https://www.tricare.mil/select](https://www.tricare.mil/select) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** TRICARE Cost Rates - [https://www.tricare.mil/costs](https://www.tricare.mil/costs) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance:** West Region Portal - [https://www.triwest.com](https://www.triwest.com) * **Humana Military:** East Region Portal - [https://www.humanamilitary.com](https://www.humanamilitary.com)