If you’ve wanted to make a change to your Military Family’s TRICARE health plan for 2019, now is your time. Starting today (November 12, 2018), TRICARE open season is officially underway. From Now until December 10, 2018, servicemembers and their families can enroll in or change their healthcare coverage plan for the following year. Any enrollments or changes made to your current plan will go into effect at that start of next year, on January 1, 2019.
What is TRICARE Open Season?
TRICARE Open Season is an annual period — usually from mid-November through mid-December — during which servicemembers and their families can change their TRICARE coverage for the year ahead. Lives, especially those of military families, can change so much over the course of a year. It’s important to make sure your health plan is keeping up with those changes.
During TRICARE Open Season, those eligible will be able to enroll in or switch to one of the following three plans:
Each plan is slightly different and determining which one is best for you and your Military Family will be based on your specific needs. Make sure you review each plan on the TRICARE website and contact your regional contractor. For even more information and insight on TRICARE Open Season and the changes coming to the TRICARE system, check out American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association’s (AAFMAA) recent webinar on making the most of TRICARE in 2019.
In addition to health plans, active duty servicemembers are also eligible for new vision and dental plans through the Federal Employees Dental Vision and Insurance Program (FEDVIP). In order for active duty servicemembers to participate in the FEDVIP plan, eligible participants must already be enrolled in a TRICARE health plan, and must enroll in the FEDVIP during Federal Benefits Open Season. For more information on the FEDVIP, click here.
How to Enroll during TRICARE Open Season
There are three main ways to enroll in or change your TRICARE Plan:
- Online: Beneficiary Web Enrollment website (stateside only)
- Phone: Call your regional contractor
- Mail: Send your enrollment form to your regional contractor
Who is not included in TRICARE Open Season?
TRICARE Open Season doesn’t apply to everyone. If your TRICARE health plan is listed below, then you don’t need to worry about open season. Technically, your open season never ends as these plans all offer continuous enrollment throughout the year:
- TRICARE Retired Reserve
- TRICARE Reserve Select
- TRICARE Young Adult
- Continued Health Care Benefit Program
If you need to, you can make changes to your TRICARE plan outside of TRICARE Open Season if you or someone in your family experiences a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). QLEs include marriage, change of address, and more. For more information on QLEs click here. If you still have questions or want a complete breakdown of everything happening during TRICARE Open Season, check out the graphic below and visit TRICARE’s official website.
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