Navigating Qualifying Life Events: Keeping Your TRICARE Coverage Up to Date
Life changes—like marriage, a new baby, moving, or retiring—can all affect your TRICARE coverage. These are called Qualifying Life Events (QLEs), and they give you a 90-day window to make updates to your health plan.
What Counts as a QLE?
TRICARE lists several types of qualifying events:
Changes in other health insurance – Getting or losing employer coverage, Medicare, or Medicaid
Changes in family – Marriage, divorce, or the birth/adoption of a child
Moving – A new city, new country, or leaving for college
Change in sponsor status – Retiring, separating from active duty, or a Retired Reserve member turning 60
Loss of eligibility – Such as becoming Medicare-eligible at age 65
Government-directed changes – Like being assigned a new primary care manager
What to Do After a QLE
Update DEERS right away – Don’t wait. If your DEERS info is outdated, you could miss your 90-day enrollment window.
Decide on your plan – After DEERS is updated, you can:
Stay in your current plan
Switch plans
Enroll in a plan if you’re newly eligible
Special note – Some QLEs allow you to join premium-based plans like TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Young Adult anytime.
Resources
https://www.jbsa.mil/News/News/Article/3294979/tricare-what-to-do-after-a-qualifying-life-event/
https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/
https://www.tricare.mil/planfinder
