MARCH 27, 2025 – Are you expecting a baby in 2025? TRICARE covers many services to help you through pregnancy, childbirth, and after your baby is born. Prenatal and postpartum care helps keep both you and your baby healthy by catching any problems early—and, recent updates to the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration now bring more support options to families worldwide.
“These expanded services help military families get the support they need during a critical time in their lives,” said Jennifer Stankovic, health systems specialist, TRICARE Health Plan, at the Defense Health Agency. “Our goal is to make sure military families have access to quality maternity support no matter where they live around the world.”
Coverage for maternity care and childbirth
As detailed in the TRICARE Maternity Care Brochure, TRICARE covers:
- Obstetric visits during pregnancy
- Ultrasounds
- Prenatal and postpartum physical therapy and pelvic floor therapy
- Prenatal carrier screening
- Management of high-risk pregnancies
- Hospital care during and after birth
- Deliveries at TRICARE-certified and authorized birthing centers or deliveries planned at home (in the U.S.)
- Breastfeeding support and breast pumps
- Anesthesia for pain management during labor and delivery
- Caesarean sections
Your costs depend on your TRICARE plan. Active duty service members and their family members with TRICARE Prime have no costs for maternity services.
How to get maternity care
Your path to maternity care depends on which TRICARE plan you have.
If you have TRICARE Prime:
- Start by calling your primary care manager. Your PCM will help coordinate all your maternity care.
- Does your military hospital or clinic have maternity services? If so, you’ll continue to receive care there.
- If maternity care isn’t available at your military hospital or clinic, your PCM will refer you to a civilian provider.
- You don’t have copayments or cost-shares for covered services.
If you have TRICARE Prime Remote:
- Your assigned PCM will direct your care.
- You can see any TRICARE-authorized civilian provider with pre-approval from your regional contractor. Your PCM will help you with the pre-approval process.
If you have TRICARE Select:
- You can see any TRICARE-approved provider without a referral.
- If you see a network provider, you’ll pay less out-of-pocket, and they’ll file claims for you.
- Non-network providers might charge more, and you may need to file your own claims.
If you have TRICARE Young Adult:
- You follow the same rules as the plan you chose—either TYA Prime or TYA Select.
- With TYA Prime, you’ll work with your assigned PCM for referrals.
- With TYA Select, you can see any TRICARE-approved provider without a referral.
Remember: If you have a baby while on TYA, your child isn’t automatically covered by TRICARE unless the child’s other parent is a military sponsor.
For overseas maternity care:
- If you have TRICARE Prime Overseas, you’ll get care at military hospitals and clinics when available. Otherwise, your PCM will refer you to a civilian provider.
- If you have TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas, you should contact the TRICARE Overseas contractor, International SOS, for assistance.
- If you have TRICARE Select Overseas, you can see almost any TRICARE-authorized provider. You may need to pay upfront and file for reimbursement.
Dental care during your pregnancy
The TRICARE Dental Program provides a third cleaning in a 12-month period during pregnancy. To use this benefit, let your dental provider know that you’re pregnant when scheduling your appointment.
Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration updates
The Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration gives you access to additional pregnancy and postnatal support. This program helps military families by covering services from specialized providers whose services aren’t otherwise covered by TRICARE.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the CBSD.
Q: Can I use the CBSD?
A:
- You must have TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Prime Remote, or TRICARE Select. (Note: You aren’t eligible if you have TRICARE For Life, the US Family Health Plan, or the Continued Health Care Benefit Program.) You need to be at least 20 weeks pregnant for childbirth support or 27 weeks for breastfeeding support.
- You must plan to give birth outside a military hospital or clinic.
Q: How has CBSD coverage changed in the U.S.?
A:
- Doulas must now sign a participation agreement.
- You now get a total of six hours of doula support (before or after birth) that can be divided by 15-minute increments, plus unlimited support during birth.
- Doulas can’t charge you for covered services after you meet your deductible. They also can’t ask you to file your own claims.
Q: The CBSD expanded overseas Jan. 1. How do I access CBSD services overseas?
A: You can register for CBSD services with International SOS at any point in pregnancy, before getting any services. They’ll try to find a provider within 14 days. You can start receiving care at 20 weeks of pregnancy.
The CBSD covers certified labor doulas who support you during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, as well as lactation consultants and counselors who help with breastfeeding.
It’s important to know that TRICARE can’t guarantee CBSD services overseas. International SOS will try to find a provider for every eligible and interested beneficiary, but it may not always be possible.
Do you think you may move during your pregnancy? Contact your regional contractor to keep your care on track.
This demonstration runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
Coverage for your baby
Your baby gets their own TRICARE coverage after birth. But you need to take action to ensure continuous coverage:
- Register your baby in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System within 90 days in the U.S. or 120 days overseas.
- To register in DEERS, the sponsor must go to a Uniformed Services ID card office. Bring your baby’s official birth certificate or FS-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
- If you miss the registration deadline, your baby will only be able to use military pharmacy services and get care at military hospitals and clinics if space is available.
- After registering in DEERS, coverage works differently based on sponsor status:
- Children of ADSMs are automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime (if they live in a Prime Service Area in the U.S.) or TRICARE Select. Overseas, children are enrolled to TRICARE Select Overseas. You have 90 days from the date of DEERS registration to change your child’s enrollment to TRICARE Prime Overseas or TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas (if available and command-sponsored). You can change your child’s plan within 90 days of DEERS registration.
- Children of retirees aren’t automatically enrolled. You must submit enrollment forms to your regional contractor.
- Children of TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve enrollees aren’t automatically enrolled. You must submit enrollment forms to your regional contractor.
To check your child’s enrollment, visit milConnect within 90 days of birth.
Childbirth is also a Qualifying Life Event. This means you have 90 days to switch your family’s TRICARE health plan, if you want to make a change. All family members are eligible to change their health plan after a QLE.
Looking for more information?
Want to learn more about your maternity benefits? Check out Pregnancy Care or contact your regional contractor.
Courtesy Story
Defense Health Agency