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Open enrollment season for TRICARE medical coverage and other federal employment benefits begins Nov. 11 and runs through early December.
This is the time of year when those eligible can enroll, disenroll or amend their benefits. Any changes take effect Jan. 1, 2025.
Otherwise, changes can only be made if there is a so-called qualifying life event, such as getting married, having a baby or losing one's health care coverage.
In the National Guard community, open season is important for Active Guard and Reserve personnel, dual-status technicians, retirees drawing retirement pay and their families.
TRICARE open season runs from Nov. 11 to Dec. 10 and applies to the coverage available to AGRs and retirees over age 60.
Although dual-status technicians must be drilling Guardsmen to qualify for their positions, they are considered civilian federal workers and must currently obtain their health care through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.
FEHB changes must be made during the federal benefits open season from Nov. 11 to Dec. 9. More information is available here.
Title 32 AGRs may also enroll in a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for the first time this year and use pre-tax dollars to pay for programs like preschool, summer day camp and child or adult daycare.
DCFSA enrollment is part of the federal benefits open season. More information is available here.
All AGRs will additionally be eligible for a new Defense Department Health Care Flexible Spending Account scheduled to begin next year. It will have a special enrollment period from March 3 to March 31, 2025.
Most drilling Guardsmen and retirees under age 60 (gray-area retirees) are eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve. Enrollment in both premium-based programs is available at any time.
Current TRS monthly premiums are $51.95 for service members and $256.87 for a service member and their family. These monthly premiums will increase to $53.80 for service members and $274.48 for a service member and their family in 2025.
Monthly TRR premiums are $585.24 for individual coverage and $1,406.22 for a family. These premiums will increase to $632.26 for an individual and $1,513.04 for a family.
TRS premiums are largely subsidized to bolster medical readiness; TRR is sold at cost to DoD.
Retired Guardsmen over age 60 are eligible for TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select.
Open season does not apply to those with TRICARE For Life coverage, which is automatic for those with Medicare Part A and Part B.
More information about the full array of TRICARE plans is available here.
Due to some changes in TRICARE contracts and administrative regions, some military families may additionally need to act before the end of the year to avoid losing their coverage.
Enrolled beneficiaries living in one of the 26 states within the new TRICARE West Region — including the six states moving from TRICARE's East Region to its West Region — must provide their payment information to TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the West Region's new contractor, before Jan. 1.
Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin are the states moving from TRICARE's East Region to its West Region. About 1.1 million beneficiaries live across the six states.
Those who do not provide their payment information to TriWest by Jan. 1 risk being involuntarily disenrolled from medical coverage, according to TRICARE officials.
This applies only to those who currently pay by electronic funds transfer, debit card or credit card. Payment by military allotment will automatically transfer, officials said.
Payment information can be provided through Tricare.mil/west or by downloading the TRICARE automatic payment authorization form and mailing it to TriWest.
TriWest has reached out to most affected beneficiaries via email or a letter with instructions about how to provide their payment information, according to TRICARE.
Humana Military is the TRICARE East Region's contractor.
— By John Goheen
