TRICARE Unveils TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)

Beginning April, 2005, the Department of Defense will implement TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)-a premium-based health care plan available for purchase by certain eligible members of the National Guard and Reserve who have been activated for a contingency operation on or after Sept. 11, 2001. It will provide comprehensive health care coverage similar to TRICARE Standard and Extra for TRS members and their covered Family members. TRS is authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. The monthly premium for member-only coverage is $75 and $233 for member and Family coverage.

The member's Service/Reserve Component personnel office will determine his or her eligibility to purchase TRS. To qualify, members must have served on active duty for 90 consecutive days or more on or after Sept. 11, 2001, in support of a contingency operation, and enter into an agreement with their Reserve Component to serve in the Selected Reserve for one or more years prior to leaving active duty. For those who have already left active duty, they must enter into an agreement no later than Oct. 28, 2005.

Members are eligible for one whole year of TRS coverage for each whole year of service commitment in the Service agreement, up to a maximum of one whole year of coverage for each 90 days of continuous active duty served in support of a contingency operation. For example, a member who served a 360-day qualifying active-duty period in the Selected Reserve are eligible for four years of TRS coverage provided an agreement is entered into to serve at least another four years in the Selected Reserve.

TRS coverage for members and covered Family members will terminate at the end of the Service agreement, or sooner if the member separates from the Selected Reserve, voluntarily disenrolls from the TRS Program, or fails to pay the monthly TRS premiums.

Updated information on the TRS program (to include start date, eligibility, benefits and premiums) will be posted later this month on the TRICARE Web site at TRICARE Reserve Select. To receive future TRS updates by e-mail as the information becomes available members and Family members may subscribe to www.tricare.mil/tricaresubscriptions/.

For members who purchase TRS and have health care coverage under the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP), coverage will begin the day after their TAMP coverage ends.

Source: Coming Soon-TRICARE Reserve Select Health Plan for Certain National Guard and Reserve Members