Reserves Qualify for New TRICARE Health Plan

Military Medicine, Summer 2005

TRICARE Reserve Select is a new premium-based health plan that may be available to certain members of the Reserve Component (RC) and their families, if specific eligibility requirements are met.

Beginning April, 2005, the Department of Defense will implement TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) -a premium-based health care plan available for purchase by certain eligible members of the National Guard and Reserve who have been activated under Title 10 for a contingency operation on or after September 1 1, 2001 for more than 30 consecutive days or if they enter into a service agreement (DD Form 2895) to serve in the Selected Reserves.

Contingency operations include Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. RC Members will need to agree to continued service in the Selected Reserve for one or more whole years to qualify. Members are eligible for one wholeyear of TRS coverage for each whole year of service commitment, up to a maximum of one whole year of coverage for each 90 days of continuous active duty in support of a contingency operation. For example, members who served a 360 day qualifying active duty period in the selected Reserve are eligible for four years of TRS coverage provided they agreed to serve at least another four years in the selected Reserves.

TRS coverage must be purchased. TRS members pay a monthly premium for health care coverage (for self-only or for self and family). Service members have a time limited opportunity to decide to enroll. If they do not complete the first two steps in the three step process by the specified deadlines, the loose their opportunity to purchase TRS in step 3. TRS coverage may not be initiated or extended later, nor many any period of eligibility be saved until a later time.

TRS will provide comprehensive health care coverage similar to TRICARE Standard and Extra for TRS members and their covered family members TRS members may access care from any TRICARE-authorized provider, hospital or pharmacy-TRICARE network or non-network They may access care from a MTF on a space available basis only.

Related sites:

For details on the TRS program (to include eligibility, benefits and premiums) and to subscribe for continuing updates, please visit the TRICARE Web site at: h ttp://www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect/ index.cfm

Reference: Tricare Management Activity Fact Sheet, Reserve Component, 21 April 2005.

TRICARE web site

US Department of Defense, News Release, 24 March 2005