TRICARE Enrollment Fee: 2026 Guide & Definition | TRICARE.com

*Note: TRICARE.com is an independent reference site and is not the official TRICARE program or the Defense Health Agency. For official policy and the latest updates, visit TRICARE.mil.*

## Definition A TRICARE enrollment fee is a fixed annual amount that certain retirees and their families must pay to maintain coverage under specific plans, such as TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select.

## What it means in practice For most active-duty service members and their families, TRICARE coverage is free; however, once a member retires, the "Enrollment Fee" becomes a primary cost of maintaining health insurance. These fees are typically paid annually or quarterly and are separate from "premiums" (the monthly costs paid by members of TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve). If you are in a plan that requires an enrollment fee, failure to pay can result in a loss of coverage and a 90-day lockout period.

The amount you pay depends on your "Group" status. Group A includes those who entered service before January 1, 2018, while Group B includes those who entered on or after that date. Group A retirees generally pay lower enrollment fees than Group B retirees. For example, under the **2026 rates**, a Group A retiree and their family using TRICARE Prime might pay several hundred dollars per year, whereas active-duty families using the same plan pay $0.

In the TRICARE West Region (managed by **TriWest**) and the East Region (managed by **Humana Military**), enrollment fees are usually deducted automatically from military retirement pay. If your retirement pay is insufficient to cover the fee, you must set up an electronic funds transfer (EFT) or pay by credit/debit card. It is important to note that these fees usually increase slightly each year based on the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

## Related terms * **Catastrophic Cap:** The maximum out-of-pocket amount you will pay for covered services each calendar year, including enrollment fees and copayments. * **Premium:** A monthly payment required for "purchased" plans like TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), distinct from the annual enrollment fee for Prime/Select. * **Cost-Share:** The percentage of the total cost of a covered health care service that you pay (similar to coinsurance). * **Group A vs. Group B:** Categories that determine your cost structure based on whether you joined the military before or after January 1, 2018. * **Beneficiary:** Any individual eligible for TRICARE benefits, including active duty members, retirees, and family members.

## Sources * TRICARE.mil: TRICARE Costs (https://www.tricare.mil/costs) * Defense Health Agency: Cost Terms (https://health.mil) * Humana Military: Payments and Billing (https://www.humanamilitary.com)