Tricare Overseas: Everything You Need to Know

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Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt. Felix Mena)
Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea (U.S. Army photo/Staff Sgt. Felix Mena)

Relocating overseas can be very stressful. Concerns about housing, schools, costs, and where to find health care can be intimidating. Fortunately you can take health care coverage off your list because military families who live overseas are covered by Tricare, in fact they there are many Tricare plans to choose from.

  • Active duty members and their families can choose from Tricare Select Overseas, Tricare Prime Overseas, or Tricare Prime Remote Overseas
  • Reservists and their families may can choose from Tricare Reserve Select or Tricare Retired Reserve
  • Military retirees and their families choose from Tricare For Life,
  • Dependent children may be eligible for Tricare Young Adult.

Tricare Select Overseas

Tricare Select Overseas is similar to the Tricare Select program offered stateside, including cost-shares and deductibles. Active duty family members living overseas with their sponsors, who have relocated with service sponsored/funded orders, may choose Tricare Select Overseas.

If you are an active duty family member, you may choose Tricare Select Overseas if:

  • You live overseas with your sponsor, and
  • Your sponsor has relocated with service-sponsored/funded orders.

Retired service members and their families, survivors, and some former spouses are also eligible for Tricare Select Overseas.

For more information see our Tricare Select Overseas page.

Tricare Prime Overseas

Tricare Prime Overseas is similar to the Tricare Prime program offered stateside, including cost-shares and deductibles. The program serves Active Duty members, activated reserve & guard members, and their command sponsored dependents. Enrollment in Tricare Prime Overseas is not automatic, family members must enroll before receiving care. To be eligible, family members must:  

  • Be Eligible in DEERS
  • Be listed on the permanent change of station (PCS) orders or relocate on service sponsored/funded orders

For more information see our Tricare Prime Overseas page.

Tricare Prime Remote Overseas

Tricare Prime Remote Overseas is a Tricare Prime option offered in designated remote overseas locations for active duty service members and their families. The program is similar to Tricare Prime Overseas but you will receive most, if not all of your care from foreign providers, these providers are selected and inspected by a Tricare contractor. For more information see our Tricare Prime Remote Overseas page.

Tricare Reserve Select

The Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) program is a premium based insurance plan that is available worldwide. It is available for qualified members of the Selected Reserve and their families.

Members of the Selected Reserve (or their families) must meet the following qualifications:

  • Not on active duty orders
  • Not covered under the Transitional Assistance Management Program or the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.

For more information see our Tricare Reserve Select page.

Tricare Retired Reserve

The Tricare Retired Reserve program is a health insurance program for retired Reservists and Guard members and their families. The program is a premium-based insurance policy with deductibles and coverage limits. Retirees are eligible for the program until they reach age 60, when they will be disenrolled and will be eligible for other premium-free Tricare programs as a retiree.

Eligible persons include:

  • Retired Reserve members who are:
    • Members of the retired Reserve of a Reserve Component who are qualified for non-regular retirement under 10 U.S.C., Chapter 1223
    • Under age 60
    • Not eligible for, or enrolled in, the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program 
  • Family members of qualified Retired Reserve members             
  • Survivors of retired Reserve members if:
    • The sponsor was covered by Tricare Retired Reserve when they died.
    • They are immediate family members of the deceased sponsor (spouses cannot have remarried).
    • Tricare Retired Reserve coverage would begin before the date the deceased sponsor would have turned 60 years old.

For more information see our Tricare Retired Reserve page.

Tricare For Life

Tricare For Life is Medicare wraparound coverage for Tricare beneficiaries who have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B, regardless of age or place of residence. Medicare does not provide coverage outside the United States or U.S. territories. Therefore, Tricare For Life is your primary payer for health care received in all other overseas locations. Tricare For Life generally provides the same coverage as Tricare Overseas Select and has the same deductible and cost-shares for beneficiaries who live or travel overseas.

For more information see our Tricare For Life page.

Tricare Young Adult

Tricare Young Adult is an option for unmarried, adult children who have "aged out" of regular Tricare coverage. The plan provides comprehensive medical and pharmacy benefits. Tricare young adult can be purchased by eligible children ages 21 - 26.

For more information see our Tricare Young Adult page.

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