FALLS CHURCH, Va. – It’s almost time for TRICARE Open Season, which begins Nov. 11. That means it’s also time to check your information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and make sure it’s current. You should do this as soon as possible.
There will be limitations for beneficiaries from Oct. 25 to Dec. 31. The first impact will be Oct. 25–27, when there will be a global enrollment freeze on any TRICARE health plan enrollment changes. This means you won’t be able to update your information or make any changes to your plan. This freeze includes overseas and dental enrollments.
“This is a scheduled outage,” explained Jim Frank, Health Plan Operations Support Branch DEERS Integration Manager, TRICARE Health Plan, at the Defense Health Agency. “The DHA and its partners will use this time to transfer beneficiary enrollment information to the regional contractors.”
Following that, between Oct. 28 and Dec. 31, if you live in the U.S. and need to make health plan changes, you’ll need to call your regional contractor. You won’t be able to make any health plan updates online in milConnect via Beneficiary Web Enrollment. This limitation to the BWE self-service portal will allow the DHA and regional contractors to transfer beneficiary enrollment information in DEERS. This will happen ahead of the start of health care delivery under TRICARE’s new regional contracts, which begin Jan. 1, 2025. (Note: These restrictions don't apply to changing your coverage under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program during Federal Benefits Open Season. That's separate from TRICARE Open Season.)
Do you live overseas? You can keep using milConnect as normal between Oct. 28 and Dec. 31, unless you’re transferring from the U.S. to an overseas location. To transfer from the U.S., you’ll need to contact International SOS.
But if you live in the U.S., you’ll need to call your regional contractor if you want to:
You’ll still be able to update your address and contact information in milConnect, but you may get a message that you need to call your regional contractor. This will also be the case if you go to a local Uniformed Services ID card office or if you call DMDC to update your information.
Not sure who you should call to update your information or change your plan? It may depend on when you make the change. Here’s a quick guide.
Oct. 25–27
- You can’t make any enrollment changes.
For enrollment changes effective Oct. 28–Dec. 31
If you live:
For enrollment changes effective Jan. 1, 2025, and beyond (including TRICARE Open Season)
If you live:
Actions you can still take online
If you’re not currently enrolled in a TRICARE health plan and want to enroll in one between Oct. 28 and Dec. 31, you can still do this online. Go to milConnect, navigate to the “I want to” section, and select “Manage Health Benefits.”
Preparing for TRICARE Open Season
This year, TRICARE Open Season begins Nov. 11 and ends Dec. 10. Over the next few weeks, keep an eye out for articles about provider networks, 2025 costs, and more.
In the meantime, you should:
- Check DEERS before Oct. 25 to confirm that your information is current. This will help make sure you don’t miss important communications.
- Read past articles on the new TRICARE contracts from the TRICARE Newsroom.
- Check out www.tricare.mil/changes. This page will be updated over the next few months with answers to commonly asked questions.
- Stay in the know by signing up for email alerts from TRICARE.
Would you like the latest TRICARE news sent to you by email? Visit TRICARE Subscriptions, and create your personalized profile to get benefit updates, news, and more.