Tricare

What are the Tricare Options as a Reservist goes from active, to getting their 20-year letter, turning 60 and going on Medicare at age 65?

 Tricare Reservist/National Guard Website - https://tricare.mil/Publications/Handbooks/national_guard_reserve 

There is a two slide PowerPoint that relates to this question on TRICARE. 

  A “gray area” Guard/Reserve member is one who has completed enough service time to be eligible for a pension (they typically get a 20-year letter when this happens) but has not yet reached the age (typically 60) where they qualify to start receiving their pension and healthcare benefits.

  Until they reach age 60 Guard and Reserve personnel are eligible for Tricare Retired Reserves (TRR) or Tricare Reserve Select (TRS), depending on their status.  Both TRR and TRS are Preferred Provider Organization [PPO] plans and can be started at any time during the year, for coverage starting the first day of the next month or the 2nd month.  In general, if a service is a TRICARE benefit, then that service is provided by both TRS and TRR.

  For Reservists that have not yet received their 20-year letter, but are not activated, they are eligible for Tricare Reserve Select (TRS).  In TRS you are paying a monthly premium to gain the benefits as an Active-Duty Family Member [ADFM].  The Government pays approximately 70% of the monthly premiums and the service members pays 30%.  To be eligible for TRS the service member must be in the National Guard (NG) or in a paid drilling Reserve DEERS data base.  Reservists drilling for points only are not eligible for TRR.  In 2022 the premiums for Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) for the member only is about $47/mos, and for the member and family about $229/mos.  You can find additional details on costs at Copayments & Cost-Shares | TRICARE

  Once in the Gray Area, a  NG or Reservist who has received their 20-year retirement letter but has not met the three requirements discussed below is only eligible for TRICARE Retired Reserves (TRR).  In TRR you are paying a monthly premium to gain the benefits as a Retired Family Member.  The government does not pay anything toward the monthly premiums, the service member pays 100% of the premiums.  To be eligible for TRR the service member must be in the Retired NG or Reserves DEERS data base. In 2022 the premiums for TRR for the member only is about $500/mos, and for the member and family about $1200/mos.  There are also deductibles and catastrophic caps.  You can find additional details on costs at Copayments & Cost-Shares | TRICARE

  A traditional National Guard (NG) or Reservist can draw their retired pay before age 60 if they have qualified deployments to reduce that age (no lower than 55).   However, the eligibility for TRICARE Prime or Select does not start until three things occur.  Those three things are:

1)  They turn age 60,

2) They draw their traditional NG or Reserve retired pay (at any age) and

3)  They turn in their pink / red traditional NG or Reservist military ID card for a “real” retired military ID Card.

  Once the Reservist reaches age 60 and meets the three requirements listed above, they are eligible for Tricare Prime or Tricare Select, like “regular” military retirees who were totally active duty during their service.

  Once the Reservist reaches 65 and signs up for Medicare, they get Tricare for Life just like “regular” military retirees.

Now FEDVIP.  FEDVIP can apply during the Gray area retirement.   In other words, if qualified under FEDVIP, he could sign up for FEDVIP - Dental now during the gray area at any age..   For FEDVIP - Vision he must be enrolled into a TRICARE Healthcare Plan. TRR is a qualifying health plan that "qualifies" for FEDVIP - vision.   At age 60 when in TRICARE Prime or Select that also qualifies for FEDVIP - Vision.   TRICARE for Life also qualifies for FEDVIP - Vision.