Pentagon Extends Reservists' Health Care Coverage

By David McGlinchey
March 18, 2004

NOTE: Under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, effective Oct. 28, 2004, TRICARE eligibility under the TAMP has been permanently extended from 60 or 120 days to 180 days. (Source: "Transitional Assistance Management Program: A Transitional Health Care Benefit For Service Members and Their Families", TRICARE web site)

The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will extend the Transitional Assistance Medical Program to allow reservists to keep their military health coverage for 180 days after they are demobilized.

The fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act called for a number of experimental measures to support medical readiness and ensure that reservists are prepared for deployment. Under the legislation, reservists and their Families will be eligible for the Defense Department's Tricare health coverage as soon as they are alerted of their pending mobilization. The authorization act also extends the Tricare coverage to some reservists who have not been moved to active duty but do not have private health care. Officials are hopeful the moves could help recruitment and retention efforts.

The measures are set to expire at the end of the calendar year, when lawmakers will determine if the rules should be extended. Defense officials said, however, that the experimental program might need to be extended before any decision is made.

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