What Is TRICARE Reserve Select? 2026 Eligibility & Costs | TRICARE.com

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

## Details TRICARE Reserve Select functions much like a commercial PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan. It is available specifically to "gray area" National Guard and Reserve members who are not on active duty orders and are not eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program.

### Eligibility and Restrictions To purchase TRS, you must be a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve. However, there is a major statutory exclusion: if you are eligible for the **Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB)** program in your own right (through federal civilian employment), you are currently ineligible for TRS. *Note: Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, this restriction is scheduled to be removed effective January 1, 2030.*

### 2026 Costs and Premiums Because TRS is a premium-based plan, members pay a monthly fee to maintain coverage regardless of whether they use medical services.

* **Monthly Premiums (2026 Rates):** These rates are updated annually by the Defense Health Agency. (Example: For the 2026 plan year, premiums generally range from approximately $50–$60 for Member-only and $250–$270 for Member-and-Family, though you must verify the exact cents at TRICARE.mil). * **Deductibles:** You must meet an annual outpatient deductible before TRICARE cost-sharing begins. * **Catastrophic Cap:** This limits your maximum out-of-pocket expenses per year for covered services.

### How Care Works TRS does not require a Primary Care Manager (PCM) or referrals for most specialty care. * **Network Providers:** You pay lower cost-shares when using the TriWest (West Region) or Humana Military (East Region) networks. * **Non-Network Providers:** You can see any TRICARE-authorized provider, but you will pay higher cost-shares and may be subject to "balance billing" (up to 15% above the TRICARE allowable charge).

### Pharmacy Coverage TRS includes the TRICARE Pharmacy Benefit managed by **Express Scripts**. This includes home delivery, retail network pharmacies, and military pharmacies (though military treatment facilities provide care to TRS members on a space-available basis only).

## 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 National Guard). * **Family members** of qualified Selected Reserve and National Guard members. * **Survivors** of Selected Reserve members who died while in a qualifying status.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [TRICARE Reserve Select Overview](https://www.tricare.mil/trs) * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [TRICARE Costs and Fees](https://www.tricare.mil/costs) * **Humana Military (East):** [Provider Network Management](https://www.humanamilitary.com/) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** [TRICARE West Region Information](https://www.triwest.com/)