What Is TRICARE? Guide to Military Health Benefits | TRICARE.com

## Quick answer TRICARE is the comprehensive health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families worldwide. It combines military hospitals and clinics with networks of civilian providers to provide medical, dental, and pharmacy coverage to approximately 9.6 million beneficiaries.

## Details TRICARE is managed by the Defense Health Agency (DHA) under the Department of Defense. It is not a private insurance company, but it functions like one by partnering with regional contractors to manage care. *Note: TRICARE.com is an independent reference site; visit TRICARE.mil for official government policy.*

### Regional Management Coverage is divided into two primary regions in the United States, managed by specific contractors as of 2026: * **TRICARE East:** Managed by Humana Military. * **TRICARE West:** Managed by TriWest Healthcare Alliance (which took over the contract on January 1, 2025). * **Overseas:** Managed by International SOS.

### Core Health Plans TRICARE offers several distinct plans based on the beneficiary's status and location: * **TRICARE Prime:** A managed care option similar to an HMO. Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs) must enroll in Prime. There are generally no out-of-pocket costs for ADSMs, while retirees and families may pay annual enrollment fees ($391.92 for individuals or $783.84 for families for 2026 Group A retirees). * **TRICARE Select:** A self-managed, preferred provider organization (PPO) style plan. It offers more flexibility in choosing doctors but involves more out-of-pocket costs like annual deductibles and copayments. * **TRICARE For Life (TFL):** Medicare-wraparound coverage for retirees and their dependents who are entitled to Medicare Part A and Part B. * **Premium-Based Plans:** Programs like TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR), and TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) require monthly premiums for coverage.

### Pharmacy and Dental All TRICARE plans include a pharmacy benefit managed by Express Scripts. Prescriptions can be filled at military pharmacies ($0 copay), through TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery, or at retail network pharmacies. Dental coverage is separate and usually requires a premium via the TRICARE Dental Program (managed by United Concordia) or the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).

### Costs and Groups Costs are often determined by your "Group." * **Group A:** You or your sponsor’s initial enlistment or appointment was before January 1, 2018. * **Group B:** You or your sponsor’s initial enlistment or appointment was on or after January 1, 2018. Group B participants generally have different enrollment fees and higher catastrophic caps.

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Service Members:** Mandatory enrollment, typically in Prime. * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFM):** Eligible for Prime or Select. * **Military Retirees and Families:** Eligible for Prime, Select, or TRICARE For Life. * **National Guard & Reserve:** Eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) while in inactive status. * **Survivors and Former Spouses:** Eligibility depends on specific criteria and years of service. * **Medal of Honor Recipients:** And their eligible family members.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [https://www.tricare.mil/About](https://www.tricare.mil/About) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [https://health.mil/](https://health.mil/) * **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/)