TRICARE Travel Overseas: Coverage, Costs & Claims (2026) | TRICARE.com

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## Quick answer When traveling overseas, your coverage depends on your TRICARE plan and your status. Active duty service members have the most comprehensive coverage but must coordinate through International SOS, while most other beneficiaries must pay upfront and file for reimbursement later.

Details

TRICARE provides worldwide coverage, but the "how-to" of getting care changes the moment you cross an international border. The overseas contractor for all regions outside the United States is **International SOS**.

### Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs) If you are traveling on leave or official duty: * **Urgent Care:** You must contact the TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) Regional Call Center to get an authorization before seeking care. * **Emergency Care:** Go to the nearest emergency room immediately. You must notify International SOS and your primary care manager (PCM) as soon as possible (ideally within 24 hours). * **Costs:** $0 out-of-pocket for authorized care.

### TRICARE Select and Retirees When traveling abroad, TRICARE Select beneficiaries, retirees, and their families are generally treated as "Point of Service" users. * **Payment:** You will likely be required to pay the full cost of care upfront to the foreign provider. * **Claims:** You must save all receipts and medical records (translated into English if possible) and file a claim with International SOS for reimbursement. * **Deductibles/Cost-Shares:** 2026 rates apply. For Group A retirees on TRICARE Select, you will face an annual outpatient deductible and a cost-share (typically 25% of the TRICARE-allowable charge) after the deductible is met.

### TRICARE Prime (Stateside Residents Traveling Abroad) If you are enrolled in TRICARE Prime in the U.S. and travel overseas: * **Emergency Care:** Covered, but you may have to pay upfront and file a claim. * **Urgent Care:** You should call the TOP Regional Call Center first. If you don't, you may be charged under the Point-of-Service (POS) option, which carries a much higher deductible ($300 for individuals / $600 for families in 2026).

### Pharmacy and Medications * **Express Scripts:** The TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery service is generally not available for overseas addresses (except for U.S. Territories). * **Travel Tips:** Pack a 90-day supply of maintenance medications before leaving the U.S. If you run out, you will likely need to see a local provider for a new prescription and pay out-of-pocket at a local pharmacy, then file a claim.

### MedEvac (Medical Evacuation) TRICARE only covers medical evacuation to the *nearest* facility capable of providing the required care. It does not cover "repatriation" (flying you back to the United States) because you prefer a U.S. hospital. For this reason, TRICARE.mil strongly recommends purchasing supplemental travel insurance that includes international medical evacuation.

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Service Members** (on leave or TAD/TDY). * **Active Duty Family Members** (ADFMs). * **Retirees and their families** (TRICARE Select and TRICARE For Life). * **National Guard and Reserve** members on TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS).

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [Traveling Overseas](https://www.tricare.mil/travel) * **International SOS:** [TRICARE Overseas Program](https://www.tricare-overseas.com/) * **Defense Health Agency:** [TRICARE Costs and Fees](https://www.tricare.mil/costs) * **Express Scripts:** [Overseas Pharmacy Benefits](https://militaryrx.express-scripts.com/)