As an Active Duty Soldier, you and your family are eligible for medical and dental care at little or no cost and you can receive treatment within the Army’s network of hospitals and clinics. Also, you receive free, comprehensive dental coverage and your immediate family can be included for a minimal fee. In addition to these health care benefits you can purchase life insurance at a minimal cost.
TRICARE is a regionally managed health care provided that is available for Active Duty, Activated Guard and Reserves, Retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and survivors. Under this program there are three options.
TRICARE Prime – Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) are the principal source of health care.
TRICARE Extra – a preferred provider option that saves money
TRICARE Standard – a fee-for-service option (the old CHAMPUS program)
- Dental Insurance
Army members are eligible for dental coverage provided by United Concordia. Beneficiaries with questions about the current TRICARE Family Member Dental Plan can call United Concordia’s toll-free customer-service line, 1-800-866-8499, or visit the company’s web site. - Health Insurance
Members of the Army and their family members only obtain medical coverage if the member is on active duty for more than 30 days. The military member can be covered if on orders for less than 30 days, but the family coverage does not’t begin until the 31st day of active duty. Information on benefits, eligibility, enrollment, costs, options, etc., are available at the TRICARE web site. - Life Insurance
Service members are automatically insured for $250,000 under Service member’s Group Life Insurance (SGLI) unless a different amount is specified in writing. SGLI offers low cost protection and the small monthly premium is deducted from base pay. Life insurance is a great opportunity to assure the welfare of your family. It is also important to inform your family on matters such as how much life insurance coverage you have and where the policies are located. You or your family members can find the necessary forms and more information at the SGLI web site. - Family Life Insurance
Spouses are covered automatically for $100,000 through Spousal Family Life Insurance under the SGLI provisions. Premiums are deducted from the service member’s pay beginning their first pay date in November, providing the spouse is in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). A service member can reduce or decline this coverage by completing a SGLV Form 8286A indicating the amount to which he/she wanted to reduce the coverage to or writing “I do not want coverage for my spouse at this time.” The beneficiary to this coverage is automatically the military sponsor who the premiums are being deducted from. There is no provision in the law permitting a change of beneficiary on this spousal coverage.
Children are also covered under the Family Life Insurance provisions of SGLI. There are no premiums for your children, however, they need to be put into the DEERS for coverage. Each child is covered for $10,000 with the beneficiary being the military sponsor. Children whose parents are both in the military will only be entitled to coverage under one parent.