Reserve Health Care

Tricare Benefits for Activated Reservists

Families of activated Reservists become eligible for health care benefits under TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra on the first day of the military sponsor’s active duty, if his or her orders are for a period of more than 30 consecutive days, or if the orders are for an indefinite period.

For more information, visit the Office, Secretary of Defense (OSD) website.

Updating Your Information in DEERS

Keeping your own and family members’ eligibility information current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is imperative. According to TRICARE, "Sponsors and family members actually lose access to their TRICARE health care benefits when "loss of eligibility" appears in DEERS. As a result, they are unable to make appointments, get prescriptions filled, or have claims processed correctly. Action must be taken by the sponsor and his/her family members to update information in DEERS as well as in their military personnel records. "

Update your information in DEERS today! Take your orders or other documentation for changes to any ID Card Issuing Facility or the Military/Unit Personnel Office, or call DEERS for your nearest input location and other guidance, at 1-800-538-9552. For additional information about DEERS or to update an address in DEERS, visit the DEERS Web site.

Links to More Information About TRICARE

As a Reserve Component member, you and your family can keep up-to-date with the latest information regarding your medical and dental benefits by choosing from the TRICARE resources featured below. These items explain your benefits in detail, respond to the most frequently asked questions and provide articles related to pertinent benefit issues.

General Information

• Reserve Component Health Care Benefits Brochure
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Reserve Component (RC) Health Care

Facts Sheets

A a variety of Reserve health and dental benefit fact sheets are available on the TRICARE website. Fact sheets include:

• Medical and Dental Care for Reserve Component Members and Their Families
• Transitional Health Care Benefits for Service Members and Their Families
• TRICARE Reserve Family Demonstration Project
• TRICARE Dental Program
• TRICARE Prime Remote

TRICARE News Releases

• "What the Reserve Component Needs to Know About the TRICARE Dental Program,"
  published Nov. 5, 2002
• "DoD Provides Transitional Health Care Benefits for 60 or 120 Days,"
  published on Aug. 2, 2002 Link to
• "TRICARE Explains Health Care Benefits For Guard and Reserve; Announces New Demonstration Project Enhancing Family Member Benefits,"
  published Nov. 27, 2001

Phone Numbers and Website

Source: TRICARE Web Site at http://www.tricare.osd.mil/main/tollfree.htm

National Toll Free Numbers

Regional Toll Free Numbers