Healthcare Options
Your healthcare options are based on your military status.
- Enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select.
- Qualify for line of duty care if you incur or aggravate an injury, illness, or disease.
- You’ll receive the same benefits as active duty service members. When you get to your final duty station, you'll enroll in a TRICARE Prime plan:
- Your family is also covered as active duty family members.
- Learn more about active duty benefits.
Activating vs. Mobilizing:
Activating is not the same as mobilizing. While you'll be activated when you mobilize (or get ready to deploy), you don’t always mobilize when you're activated.
Do you have delayed-effective-date orders?
If yes, then you qualify for the early eligibility pre-activation benefit:
- Coverage begins up to 180 days before you report to active duty.
- Coverage includes pharmacy and dental care.
- Family members are also covered during this pre-activation period.
- Benefits continue when active duty service begins.
- If you don't meet early eligibility requirements, coverage for you and your family members begins on the first day of your orders.
Learn more about Activating.
You deactivate when you leave active duty after serving more than 30 days. Your coverage depends on whether your time was for a preplanned mission or in support of a contingency operation. View coverage scenarios.
- You may qualify for 180 days of transitional health coverage through the Transitional Assistance Management Program after your active duty benefits end.
- If you don’t qualify for TAMP or when TAMP coverage ends, you can re-enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select.
- If you're called back to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days—or re-activate—you become eligible again for TRICARE as an active duty service member.
Learn more about Deactivating from Active Duty.
Dental Care
Your dental care depends on your current military status.
You and your family can enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program.
- You can enroll at any time.
- You must enroll for at least 12 months.
- You pay monthly premiums based on your military status.
- Sponsors and family members enroll separately.
If you get called to active duty, your enrollment will change, but your family's enrollment in the TDP will continue.
You'll get active duty dental care when you're called to active duty for more than 30 consecutive days. This means you’ll get:
- Most of your dental care from a military dental clinic
- Civilian dental care through the Active Duty Dental Program
If you're enrolled in the TDP when called to active duty:
- Your coverage automatically goes on hold.
- You won’t have to pay while you’re on active duty.
- Your family's enrollment in the TDP continues with lower monthly premiums.
Your coverage depends on whether or not you qualify for the Transitional Assistance Management Program when you deactivate.
If You Qualify for TAMP:
- You still have active duty dental benefits during the TAMP period (180 days).
- When TAMP ends, you may enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program.
- If you were enrolled before you went on active duty, your coverage automatically resumes.
- Your family's enrollment in the TRICARE Dental Program continues, but their premiums will return to the pre-activation rates.
If You Don’t Qualify for TAMP:
- You may enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program.
Prescriptions
TRICARE offers a robust pharmacy benefit. You're eligible to get prescriptions filled when you're:
- Enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select
- On active duty orders
- Covered by the Transitional Assistance Management Program
