Clarification Regarding Transitional Health Care Benefits for Service Members and Their Families

1. PURPOSE. TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION OF QUALIFYING
CRITEREA OF HEALTH CARE BENEFITS UNDER THE TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (TAMP) FOR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR ELIGIBLE
FAMILY MEMBERS.
2. BACKGROUND. TAMP OFFERS TRANSITIONAL TRICARE COVERAGE TO
CERTAIN MEMBERS SEPARATING FROM ACTIVE DUTY AND ELIGIBLE FAMILY
MEMBERS. NORMALLY, PER THE REF, TRICARE IS AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED
TIME AS FOLLOWS:
A. CERTAIN MEMBERS AND THEIR ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO HAVE
SERVED SIX OR MORE YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE
TRICARE BENEFITS FOR 120 DAYS AFTER THE MEMBER'S SEPARATION DATE.
B. CERTAIN MEMBERS AND THEIR ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO HAVE
SERVED FEWER THAN SIX YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE ARE ELIGIBLE TO
RECEIVE TRICARE BENEFITS FOR 60 DAYS AFTER THE MEMBER'S SEPARATION
DATE.
3. POLICY
A. EXTENSION OF BENEFITS. PER THE REF, SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR
FAMILIES ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE CONTINUED HEALTH CARE FOR 180
DAYS. THE 180 DAY PERIOD OF TAMP ELIGIBILITY APPLIES TO ALL
ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES LISTED BELOW WHO SEPARATED AFTER 6 NOV 2003 AND
IS VALID THROUGH 31 DEC 2004 UNLESS FURTHER EXTENDED BY LAW. IF NOT
EXTENDED BY LAW, THE TIME PERIOD FOR WHICH TAMP IS AVAILABLE WILL BE
ADJUSTED BACK TO THE NORMAL DURATION AS OUTLINED IN PAR 2 ABOVE.
THE FOUR CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBILITY FOR TAMP ARE:
(1) MEMBERS INVOLUNTARILY SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AND THEIR
ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS.
(2) RESERVE COMPONENT MEMBERS SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AFTER BEING
CALLED UP OR ORDERED IN SUPPORT OF A CONTINGENCY OPERATION FOR AN
ACTIVE DUTY PERIOD OF MORE THAN 30 DAYS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
(3) MEMBERS SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AFTER BEING INVOLUNTARILY
RETAINED IN SUPPORT OF A CONTINGENCY OPERATION AND THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS.
(4) MEMBERS SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY FOLLOWING A VOLUNTARY
AGREEMENT TO STAY ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR LESS THAN ONE YEAR IN SUPPORT
OF A CONTINGENCY MISSION AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
B. ENROLLMENT IN TRICARE. ACTIVE DUTY SPONSORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS
ENROLLED IN TRICARE PRIME WHO DESIRE TO CONTINUE THEIR ENROLLMENT
UPON THE SPONSOR'S SEPARATION FROM ACTIVE DUTY STATUS ARE REQUIRED
TO REENROLL.
(1) TO REENROLL IN TRICARE PRIME, THE SPONSOR OR FAMILY MEMBER MUST
COMPLETE AND SUBMIT A TRICARE PRIME ENROLLMENT APPLICATION.
(2) UNDER TAMP, FORMER ACTIVE DUTY SPONSORS, FORMER ACTIVATED
RESERVISTS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF BOTH ARE NOT ELEGIBLE TO ENROLL OR
REENROLL IN TRICARE PRIME REMOTE OR IN TRICARE PRIME REMOTE FOR
ACTIVE DUTY FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE BOTH PROGRAMS REQUIRE THE SPONSOR
TO BE ON ACTIVE DUTY. UNDER TAMP, THE SPONSOR IS NO LONGER ON
ACTIVE DUTY AND IS NOT TREATED AS AN ACTIVE DUTY FAMILY MEMBER FOR
BENEFITS AND COST SHARING PURPOSES.
(3) INITIAL ENROLLMENT IN TRICARE PRIME OCCURS DURING THE TAMP
PERIOD. FAMILY MEMBERS WHOSE APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED THROUGH THE
20TH OF THE MONTH ARE ENROLLED THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEXT MONTH.
FAMILY MEMBERS WHOSE APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED AFTER THE 20TH OF
THE MONTH ARE ENROLLED THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH THAT FOLLOWS THE
NEXT. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE APPLICATION IS RECEIVED 20 JUN, TRICARE
PRIME COVERAGE FOR THE FAMILY MEMBER BEGINS 1 JUL. IF THE
APPLICATION IS RECEIVED 21 JUN, COVERAGE FOR THE FAMILY MEMBER
BEGINS 1 AUG.
(4) SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS, WHO WANT TO
RETAIN TRICARE PRIME, MUST COMPLETE AN APPLICATION TO REENROLL IN
TRICARE PRIME. THIS REENROLLMENT FORM WILL ENSURE THAT TRICARE
PRIME COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH NO BREAK IN COVERAGE.
C. DD-214 REMARK. THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECTION OF THE LOSING COMMAND
SHALL TYPE THE FOLLOWING STATEMEMT IN REMARKS BLOCK: "MEMBER IS
AUTHORIZED TAMP BENEFITS TO EXPIRE ON (MONTH/DAY/YEAR) DUE TO THE
FOLLOWING QUALIFYING CRITERIA: MEMBER WAS INVOLUNTARILY SEPARATED
FROM ACTIVE DUTY, MEMBER'S RESERVE COMPONENT WAS CALLED UP OR
ORDERED IN SUPPORT OF A CONTINGENCY OPERATION FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS
(GIVE NAME OF CONTINGENCY, UNIT, AND INCLUSIVE DATES), MEMBER
SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AFTER BEING INVOLUNTARILY RETAINED IN
SUPPORT OF A CONTINGENCY OPERATION (GIVE NAME OF CONTINGENCY, UNIT,
AND INCLUSIVE DATES) OR MEMBER SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY AFTER
VOLUNTEERING TO BE RETAINED IN SUPPORT OF A CONTINGENCY OPERATION
(GIVE NAME OF CONTINGENCY, UNIT, AND INCLUSIVE DATES)."
4. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. FOR ADDITIONAL TRICARE BENEFIT
INFORMATION, SPONSORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS MAY VISIT THE TRICARE WEB
SITE AT WWW.TRICARE.OSD.MIL. THEY ALSO MAY CONTACT THEIR REGIONAL
MANAGED CARE SUPPORT CONTRACTOR OR TRICARE SERVICE CENTER REP. A
LIST OF THE REGIONAL TOLL-FREE NUMBERS IS AVAILABLE ON THE TRICARE
WEBSITE AT WWW.TRICARE.OSD.MIL/REGIONALINFO.