DECEMBER 24, 2025 – Getting married is an exciting milestone in your life! It’s also a time when many changes come along, including changes to your health coverage. Whether you’re a service member, a retiree, or marrying someone who is, it’s important to understand how marriage can affect your TRICARE eligibility and coverage.
“There is sometimes a misconception that TRICARE benefits will update automatically after you get married, but that’s not the case,” said Shane Pham, an analyst with TRICARE Policy and Programs at the Defense Health Agency. “If you don’t add your spouse to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, they won’t be able to use TRICARE. A small step makes a big difference.”
Marriage is a TRICARE Qualifying Life Event, meaning that you have 90 days from the date of marriage to make any changes to your TRICARE health plan. Spouses of service members are eligible for coverage, including active duty spouses, retiree spouses, and National Guard and Reserve spouses.
Stepchildren are also eligible for TRICARE if the parent of the child and the sponsor are married. The sponsor doesn’t need to adopt the stepchildren. But if the sponsor does adopt stepchildren, they may be eligible to keep their TRICARE coverage even if their parent divorces the sponsor.
Update DEERS
After getting married, one of the most important steps is to update your information in DEERS in person. DEERS is a database that TRICARE uses to determine eligibility. You must update DEERS within 90 days of your marriage to make changes to your TRICARE plan.
Although there are many changes you can make online in DEERS, you must add your spouse in person. You can visit any Uniformed Services ID card office to add your spouse and any stepchildren to DEERS. Make sure that you bring your:
- Marriage certificate
- Spouse’s birth certificate
- Spouse’s Social Security card
- Spouse’s photo ID
Choosing the right health plan for your family
Once you’ve added your spouse and any stepchildren to DEERS, you can enroll them in a TRICARE plan. The options available depend on your status and where you live. Options include:
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Select
- US Family Health Plan
- TRICARE Prime Demo (available only in Atlanta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida areas)
- TRICARE Select Overseas
- TRICARE For Life (Note: Enrollment isn’t required for TFL. Your coverage is automatic if you have Medicare Part A and Part B and you’re eligible for TRICARE.)
For active duty families, other options may include:
If you and your spouse are both active duty service members, you’ll each have your own DEERS profile. If you and your partner have children, you’ll need to choose one parent to be their sponsor in DEERS.
Dental coverage
Your spouse is also eligible for dental coverage. This isn’t automatically covered in TRICARE medical plans. As described in the TRICARE Dental Program Brochure, the TRICARE Dental Program is available for family members of ADSMs and National Guard and Reserve members. In some cases, retirees and their family members may be eligible for dental insurance through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program.
Vision options
Eligible beneficiaries who are enrolled in a TRICARE health plan can also enroll in a vision plan through FEDVIP. Eligible beneficiaries include:
- Active duty family members
- National Guard and Reserve members and their family members
- Retirees and their family members
When marriage may mean loss of coverage
In some cases, getting married may actually mean that you’ll lose TRICARE eligibility. In the following situations, getting married causes your eligibility to end:
- A surviving (widowed) spouse remarries
- A former spouse remarries
- An adult child using TRICARE Young Adult gets married (unless they marry a service member)
If any of these applies to you or a family member, it’s important to plan ahead. Losing TRICARE eligibility means you’ll need to explore other health coverage options to avoid a gap in care.
Take steps to safeguard your growing family
Marriage is a major life milestone—and it’s also a TRICARE Qualifying Life Event. Within 90 days from your date of marriage, add your spouse in DEERS and make any necessary changes to your TRICARE plan. For more information, check out Marriage.
Getting married means building a life together, including making sure your spouse has health benefits. With a few simple steps, you can make sure that your TRICARE benefits support your growing family from day one.