By MOAA Staff

A 2021 change to the TRICARE Select program has many beneficiaries left with questions. In this installment of “You Ask, MOAA Answers,” we will discuss the new TRICARE Select enrollment fee, which went into effect Jan. 1, and what it could mean to your health care coverage.

Q. Who has to pay the new fee?

A. The fee applies only to retirees in TRICARE Select Group A. It does not apply to any other TRICARE users. Also, TRICARE Select Group A beneficiaries who are active-duty family members, including transitional survivors, are exempt from fees. So are survivors of those who died on active duty, as well as medically retired servicemembers and eligible family members.

Q. What about TRICARE For Life beneficiaries?

A. TFL users don’t have to pay the new fee. It applies only to retirees who aren’t yet Medicare eligible in TRICARE Select Group A.

Q. How much is the fee?

A. The new fee is $150 annually, or $12.50 a month, for individuals, and $300 a year, or $25 a month, for family coverage.

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Q. How do I pay the fee?

A. If you’re receiving retirement pay from a military pay center, you can set up a monthly allotment. Other beneficiaries, like unremarried former spouses, can set up recurring credit or debit card payments, or pay by electronic funds transfer (EFT). You’ll need to contact your regional contractor to set up payment – visit MOAA.org/SelectFee for links and phone numbers.

Q. I didn’t set up payment. What happens to my coverage?

A. You have a six-month reinstatement period to set up the fee. If you do so during that period, you’ll be able to submit a claim to TRICARE for care you’ve paid for up front. You can also ask your provider to resubmit any rejected claims.

Q. Did MOAA fight the new fees?

A. Yes. The fees were part of a debate in 2016, where initial plans called for fees of up to $900 a year, plus additional fees on TRICARE for Life enrollment. MOAA and other groups defeated those proposals, and we continue to fight new fees and disproportionate fee increases.

Q. Where can I learn more?

A. If you’ve been disenrolled because of the fee, or you’re just not sure you’ve followed the allotment process properly, visit MOAA.org/SelectFee for more details and links. MOAA members can email our Member Service Center at MSC@MOAA.org with further questions or concerns.