Updated February 28, 2007

TRICARE for College Students

            Call or visit your nearest uniformed services ID card issuing facility and ask what documentation you will need to extend benefits beyond your 21^st birthday.  To locate the nearest ID card facility, visit file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/mharris2/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK73/www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/.  To prevent a lapse in TRICARE Prime coverage or temporary loss of eligibility, be sure to do this well in advance of your 21^st birthday, as change in your status will automatically trigger disenrollment. 

Although TRICARE Prime is a popular choice among uniformed services families, it may or may not be the best choice for you, depending on your health care needs and the location of your college.  You and your parents should carefully consider which TRICARE option, Prime, Extra or Standard, may be best for you. 

A local TRICARE service center (TSC) representative may help you.  Or, you or your parents may contact your appropriate TRICARE region.  For a list of TSCs and contact numbers visit, www.tricare.osd.mil/tricareservicecenters/default.cfm.

Students Enrolled in TRICARE Prime

If you are enrolled in TRICARE Prime, you are required to seek all non-emergency, non-mental health care from your primary care manager (PCM).  If you plan to live away from home while you are in school, you should consider getting assigned to a PCM near your school if it is located in an area where TRICARE Prime is available.  Otherwise you may want to consider disenrolling from TRICARE Prime. 

If your school is located in a TRICARE Prime area that is served by a different TRICARE region than your family, you may continue TRICARE Prime coverage by splitting the family enrollment.  Split enrollment occurs when one or more family members enroll in one region while the rest of the family is enrolled in a different region based on where each member lives. 

If you receive routine care during the school year from a provider other than your PCM, point- of-service charges (POS) may occur if you did not get proper authorizations for care.  You may find information on POS charges in the TRICARE Prime Point-of-Service Option fact sheet.

To split (change regions) your TRICARE Prime enrollment, your sponsor must complete and sign a PCM change request form indicating when the change is to occur, and send it to the regional contractor in your new region.  You should stay enrolled in your home region until you arrive in the new region.  The change from the old region to the new one is effective the date the contractor in the school region receives the change request or if indicated on the future move date on the change request form.

            If you are a student with a retired sponsor whose enrollment fees are current, there are no additional fees when you change your enrollment to another region.  You will be allowed two changes per year between the same two TRICARE regions, as long as the second change is back to the region of the original enrollment.

To transfer your TRICARE Prime enrollment within the same region, your sponsor must complete and sign a PCM change request form indicating when the change is to occur, and send it to your current regional contractor.

Allowing TRICARE Prime enrollment, where available, to transfer across regions makes TRICARE Prime a portable option.  For instance, if you remain enrolled in TRICARE Prime at your home location, while you are physically located outside the area, all TRICARE Prime rules apply including the obligation to seek all non-emergency non-mental health care from your assigned PCM.  See the Portability fact sheet for more details.

If you move with your active duty family, you may change enrollment as often as necessary, based on your sponsor’s location.  Your enrollment in TRICARE Prime will be automatically renewed at the end of a one-year enrollment period unless the renewal offer is declined or you no longer live in a service area.

Disenrollment

If you must disenroll from TRICARE Prime because of a move to a location where TRICARE Prime is not offered, you are not locked out of future TRICARE Prime enrollment.  However, you should disenroll immediately when you go to college to avoid paying higher costs under TRICARE’s POS option.  For information regarding disenrollment, contact your regional contractor.

Continued Health Care Benefit Program

            If you are no longer eligible for TRICARE benefits, you may be eligible for health care benefits under the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) for up to 36 months of coverage.  Humana Military Healthcare Services administers the CHCBP.  CHCBP is not TRICARE, but provides benefits comparable to TRICARE Standard and functions under most of the same rules.

            For more information on CHCBP, visit the Humana Web site at file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/mharris2/Local%20Settings/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/OLK73/www.humana-military.com/chcbp/main.htm or call 1-800-444-5445.

Dental Benefits

            You may be eligible to participate in either the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) or the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) depending on your sponsor’s status.  Both programs are voluntary, premium-based and offer comprehensive coverage.

            For more information on TDP, please visit the United Concordia Web site at www.ucci.com/was/ucciweb/home.jsp or call 1-800-332-0366. 

            For more information on TRDP, please visit the Delta Dental Web site at www.deltadental.com/ or call 1-888-838-8737.

Overseas

            The TRICARE Overseas Program is a dual-option benefit consisting of TRICARE Overseas Program Prime and TRICARE Standard.  If your sponsor is active duty and assigned overseas, you are eligible to enroll in the TRICARE Overseas Prime option only if you live with your sponsor on accompanied orders in the overseas location.  There is no split enrollment when the student lives in a different overseas location.

            If you are a student attending an overseas college with a retiree sponsor who is residing in a TRICARE overseas region, you are eligible to use the TRICARE Standard option only. 

            If your sponsor is active duty and assigned overseas or a retiree living overseas and you attend school in the continental United States, consider the following options: 

·         Split Prime enrollment if your sponsor is active duty and the family is enrolled in Prime;

·         Individual enrollment in Prime in the United States; or

·         TRICARE Standard or Extra. 

            You may transfer your enrollment to the TRICARE overseas region if you spend extended vacation periods with your active duty sponsor.

            TRICARE overseas procedures may vary slightly in different locations. Therefore you should call your TRICARE Overseas Area Office.  For a list of TRICARE Overseas Area Offices and contact numbers, visit www.tricare.osd.mil/overseas/index.cfm.

Supplemental Health Insurance

You or your parent may have the option of purchasing a TRICARE supplemental insurance plan or student health insurance if your school offers one.

Most military associations and some private firms offer supplemental insurance policies.  These policies reimburse patients for their cost share for civilian care after TRICARE pays the government’s share of the bill.  Consider your needs before you purchase any supplemental plan to ensure the best possible coverage.  You can find more information on the Supplemental Insurance Web site.

Additional Information

While the basic TRICARE benefit is the same throughout the TRICARE regions, the TRICARE contractor in your region may have different authorization or referral procedure requirements.  The regional contractor, local TRICARE service center or a beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator at the local military treatment facility may help you with any questions.  You and your sponsor should understand pre-authorization rules for care in your new TRICARE region.

For more information about split enrollment, transferring enrollment, other TRICARE options, visit the TRICARE Web site or contact your regional contractors at:

·         West Region: TriWest, 1-888-874-9378.

·         North Region: HealthNet, 1-877-TRICARE.

·         South Region: Humana Military, 1-800-444-5445.

For more information on student eligibility requirements, visit the local uniformed services ID card issuing office or contact the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office at 1-800-538-9552.

See also:  TRICARE: The Basics Fact Sheet
TRICARE Prime Portability Fact Sheet

                TRICARE Enrollment Forms