TRICARE Reserve Select Overview

TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) is a premium-based health plan that qualified   National Guard and Reserve members may purchase. TRS, which requires a monthly   premium, offers coverage similar to TRICARE Standard and Extra.

Qualifying and Purchasing

Step 1: Qualify

1. Log on to theGuard and Reserve Web Portal.
2. Click on the "TRICARE Reserve Select" box.
   • Select the type of coverage that you want to purchase: TRS Member-Only or TRS Member-and-Family
   • Certify that you are not eligible for or enrolled in the FEHB program
   • Select when you want your coverage to begin
3. Print and sign the TRS Request Form (DD Form 2896-1)

Step 2: Purchase
Mail or fax your completed TRS Request Form along with the first month's premium payment to your regional contractor by the applicable deadline.

Your coverage begins on the first day of the first or second month (whichever you select on the TRS Request Form) following the postmark of your TRS Request Form.  For example, if your form is postmarked in July, you may choose for your coverage to begin on the first day of the next month, August, or on the first day of the second month, September.

Monthly Premiums and Other Costs

Premium Update: Effective Jan. 1, 2009, TRICARE reduced the rates for TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS). Monthly premiums for TRS individual coverage dropped 44 percent from $81.00 to $47.51, and TRS family coverage dropped 29 percent from $253.00 to $180.17. 

Premiums can be paid by check, money order or cashier's check (payable to your regional contractor), or by Visa?/MasterCard?.  After the initial premium payment, your regional contractor will bill you by the 10th of each month. Payments are due no later than the 30th of each month, and payments are applied to the following month of coverage. Do not miss payment; failure to pay overdue amounts by the deadline will result in termination of coverage and debt collection.

Note: Other fees such as annual deductibles and cost shares are not changing.

Covered Services
TRS covered services will not be changing, and continues to be comparable to TRICARE Standard and Extra. You'll still be able to access a wide variety of services from any TRICARE-authorized provider network or non-network.  Additionally, you'll be eligible for TRICARE's prescription drug coverage.

Qualifying Life Events
You may change the type of TRS coverage, TRS Member-Only or TRS Member-and-Family, with a qualifying life event:

• Marriage
• Birth or adoption
• Placement of child in the legal custody of the member by order of the court
• Divorce or annulment
• Death of a spouse or family member
• Family member loses eligibility (e.g. child turns 21 or 23 if enrolled in college)

Sponsors must report all qualifying life events to a military personnel office and record the information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).

To change the TRS coverage, download a new TRS Request Form from the Guard and Reserve Web Portal, complete the form, and submit it to your regional contractor (postmarked) within 60 days of the qualifying life event. The change in coverage is effective the date the qualifying life event occurred.

Changes to your TRS coverage that don't involve a change in family composition, (e.g., eligibility for other health coverage) can be made at any
time during your enrollment in TRS.

Voluntary Disenrollment
You may choose to disenroll from TRS coverage at any time. If you want to disenroll, do not just stop making payments. You must take the following action to end your coverage:

1. Log on to the Guard and Reserve Web Portal.
2. Complete the TRS Request Form.
3. Print and mail your completed TRS Request Form to your regional contractor.

A one-year TRS purchase lockout will apply if you voluntarily disenroll from TRS, which means you will not be able to purchase TRS coverage for up to one year.  If you do not take action to disenroll and you simply stop making premium payments, your coverage terminates. However, you are still responsible for any premium amounts that are due prior to the date you were officially terminated from TRS.

Disenrollment Due to Change in Status
When you're activated you and your family become eligible for TRICARE (without premiums) and your TRS coverage is automatically terminated.

When you deactivate and lose eligibility for TRICARE (without premiums), you may purchase TRS with no break in coverage as long as you re-qualify. Submit your completed TRS Request Form with a premium payment postmarked no later than 60 days after the loss of the TRICARE coverage. Your TRS coverage begins on the day after the loss of other TRICARE coverage.

Your TRS coverage will also be automatically terminated if you leave the Selected Reserve. You may purchase TRS coverage again if you re-qualify.

Termination Due to Non-Payment
Your payment is due no later than the 30th day of each month. Your payment will apply to the following month of coverage. Failure to pay monthly premiums on time will result in termination of coverage, but you must still pay any overdue amounts. (This may result in up to two months of overdue premium payments.) The government pursues collection action for overdue and delinquent premiums and may notify your commander and collect overdue and delinquent amounts from your National Guard or Reserve pay. Termination of coverage due to non-payment will result in a TRS purchase lockout for one year or until overdue premiums are paid, whichever is longer.

Survivor Coverage
If a National Guard and Reserve member is covered by TRS on the day of his or her death, surviving family members may purchase or continue TRS coverage for an additional six months from the date of the member's death.

• If TRS Member-and-Family coverage is in effect at the time of death, DEERS will automatically convert the TRS Member-and-Family coverage to TRS survivor coverage.
  
• If TRS Member-Only coverage is in effect at the time of death, the coverage will terminate and survivors may purchase TRS survivor coverage within 60 days.
  
• Survivors are responsible for paying appropriate monthly premiums.

TRICARE Important Telephone Numbers

• TRICARE For Life Program 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433)
• Pharmacy Program 1-877-DOD-MEDS (1-877-363-6337)
• National Mail Order Pharmacy 1-800-903-4680 (1-888-DOD-CARE)
• TRICARE Prime Remote (1-888-363-2273)
• TRICARE Dental Program 1-800-866-8499
• Retiree Dental Program 1-888-838-8737
• Active Duty Claims (Military Medical Support Office) 1-800-876-1131

For general information about TRICARE, call one of the many toll-free TRICARE information lines found at the TRICARE Contact Us web page.

Hearing or speech-impaired beneficiaries may call TTY/TDD at 1-877-535-6778.

You can call Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. (closed on holidays).