What is EFMP? | Military Exceptional Family Member Program

The **Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)** is a mandatory enrollment program for military families with special needs that coordinates medical and educational services with the personnel assignment process.

*Note: TRICARE.com is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with the Department of Defense. For official policy, please visit TRICARE.mil.*

## Definition EFMP is a Department of Defense program that ensures service members with family members who have chronic medical, physical, or educational requirements are stationed in locations where necessary care is available.

## What it means in practice While EFMP is technically a personnel program managed by the individual military branches, it is deeply intertwined with **TRICARE**. When a family member is enrolled in EFMP, the military’s personnel command must clear any future PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders through medical providers to ensure the destination base has the specific specialists required. For example, if a child requires a pediatric neurologist, the service member will not be assigned to a remote installation where the nearest specialist is five hours away.

For TRICARE beneficiaries, EFMP enrollment provides access to the **Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)**. ECHO is a supplemental program that provides financial assistance for services not covered by standard TRICARE plans, such as specialized equipment, institutional care, and home health care. For 2026, ECHO provides an additional $36,000 in annual coverage for specific services, subject to a monthly deductible based on the service member's rank.

It is important to note that EFMP enrollment is **mandatory** for active-duty families who meet the criteria (such as chronic illness, specialized educational requirements like an IEP, or mental health conditions). While it does not change your primary TRICARE plan (Select or Prime), it acts as a safeguard. Enrollment is handled at your local Military Treatment Facility (MTF) through an EFMP coordinator, while TRICARE contractors—Humana Military in the East and TriWest in the West—coordinate the actual healthcare referrals and ECHO authorizations once you are enrolled.

## Related terms * **ECHO (Extended Care Health Option):** A financial assistance program providing extra benefits to EFMP-enrolled families for services standard TRICARE does not cover. * **Case Management:** A service provided by TRICARE regional contractors to help EFMP families navigate complex healthcare needs and referrals. * **Q-Code:** The administrative designator placed in a service member's personnel file to indicate they are enrolled in EFMP. * **Respite Care:** A benefit under ECHO that pay for temporary care for a special needs family member to provide a break for primary caregivers. * **T-5 Contract:** The current TRICARE contract (effective 2025) which transitioned the West Region to TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

## Sources * TRICARE Official Site: [https://www.tricare.mil/efmp](https://www.tricare.mil/efmp) * Military OneSource EFMP Guide: [https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/efmp/](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/efmp/) * Defense Health Agency (DHA): [https://health.mil](https://health.mil)