One Year Exemption for Direct Care Recipients

If you are eligible to receive medical care at a military facility because you are: dependent-parents and parents-in-law, or Guard/Reserve members getting Line of Duty care, or Service Secretarial Designees, then you are not covered by Tricare (unless you are purchasing Tricare Reserve Select). The care you are eligible to receive is called "direct care" and does not meet the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements for minimum essential coverage. The way the law is written, you are required to purchase health care coverage through the health care exchanges, or pay a "shared responsibility payment."  However, there is a one year exemption. For more details, see this Paycheck Chronicles post.