An additional 2.1 million beneficiaries use Tricare for Life. More than 4.7 million beneficiaries are enrolled in Tricare Prime, and nearly 1.7 million patients use Tricare Select. If they don't make a change during Open Season, beneficiaries must wait until a 'qualifying life event,' such as losing health insurance provided by another insurer, retiring, getting married or divorced, having a baby or adopting, moving or aging out of Tricare. If they are satisfied with their current Tricare health plan, they can do nothing and remain enrolled. During this period, eligible beneficiaries can enroll in Tricare Prime or Select if they have other insurance or change plans. Open Season this year is scheduled to begin Nov. In addition to pharmacy copay increases and enrollment fee hikes, some specialty populations within the Tricare system also will pay more, including reservists, young adults and transitioning service members. Medicare Part B premiums are expected to increase based on the COLA. But they are likely to see increased cost in their health care as well, since they are required to have Medicare Part B, which carries monthly premiums based on income. Tricare for Life beneficiaries don't pay anything for that program, which acts as a secondary payer to Medicare. 1, 2018, and their families who are enrolled in Tricare Prime are exempt from the increases as long as they remain in that health program. Surviving family members of sponsors who died on active duty or service members who medically retired before Jan. Retirees in Group A who use Tricare Select began paying annual enrollment fees this year, $150 for an individual and $300 for a family, while Group B retirees' enrollment fees for Select are $471 for an individual or $942 for a family.īoth groups are subject to the COLA adjustment and will see increases to their fees. This group currently pays annual enrollment fees for Tricare Prime of $366 per individual and $732 per family. 1, 2018, and have left military service, mainly medical retirees and their family members.

Those designated as Group B retirees entered service on or after Jan. 1, 2018, known as Group A retirees, pay $303 per year for an individual and $606 per year for a family. As of June, the projected cost-of-living, or COLA, increase was 5.1%, meaning that both retirement pay and Tricare Prime enrollment fees could rise by that percent as well, give or take a few tenths.Ĭurrently, military personnel who retired before Jan. The enrollment fee increase is expected to be significant this year as military retirees could see the largest jump in their retirement pay in nearly 40 years. Read Next: 10 Years After Don't Ask, Don't Tell Was Repealed, the Military Reckons with Past DiscriminationĪnnual enrollment fees for Tricare Prime and Select also are expected to rise for career retired service members and their families, but the amount of the increase has yet to be determined because it is based on the calculated cost-of-living adjustment for retired military pay, which is usually published in mid-October.

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