News from Our Partners: TRICARE Select Enrollment Fees for Group A Retirees and When Can You Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Were you disenrolled from TRICARE Select?
You’re in Group A if your initial enlistment or appointment, or that of your uniformed services sponsor, began before Jan. 1, 2018. If you’re a Group A retired beneficiary, you now pay a monthly TRICARE Select enrollment fee to maintain your TRICARE Select coverage. This is for coverage that started on Jan. 1, 2021.
If you didn’t set up your monthly enrollment fee payment by Dec. 31, 2020, you were disenrolled from TRICARE Select. However, you have 180 days from your disenrollment date to request reinstatement. You must contact your
regional contractor to request reinstatement.
Your TRICARE Select coverage will be reinstated back to Jan. 1, 2021 after you pay your back enrollment fees. If you don’t act, you can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
When Can You Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
What are the DoD COVID-19 vaccination phases?
You should take the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available to you. Your eligibility will depend on what tier you fall under to receive the vaccine. These tiers are determined by the DoD COVID-19 vaccination plan, which is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 recommendations. They are composed of the following tiers:
Tier 1A. This tier is already underway at many military hospitals, clinics, and DoD installations. This tier includes vaccinating health care workers, first responders, and residents of Armed Forces Retirement Homes. As military hospitals and clinics complete this tier, they’ll move to the following tiers.
Tier 1B. This tier includes select defense forces and
beneficiaries age 75 years old and older. This tier also includes frontline essential workers, such as teachers, child care staff, and those who are involved in postal service, public transportation, as well as commissary and food service.
Tier 1C. This tier includes eligible
beneficiaries age 65-74 and those ages
16-64 with increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, as defined by the CDC. This tier also includes some additional select military populations.
Tier 2. This tier includes any TRICARE beneficiaries not otherwise mentioned in the above tiers.
For a complete list of who is included in each tier, go to the TRICARE COVID Vaccine page.
Get Informed and Get Ready for Your COVID-19 Vaccine
TRICARE beneficiaries have options on where to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These vaccines are offered at no cost to you. You can receive the vaccine at:
As of Feb. 8, retail pharmacies began receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. You can see which pharmacies in your state have/will have vaccine available on the
CDC website. There will be no charge for TRICARE beneficiaries who get their COVID-19 vaccination at any of these pharmacies.
While the vaccines themselves are free, there may be a cost based on your health plan if you have an office visit with a provider, or if you require follow-on care. If you have questions, you can contact your
TRICARE contractor.
After you have completed the vaccination process, ensure appropriate documentation is submitted to your provider so it can be added to your health record.
“Right now, the initial supply of the COVID-19 vaccine is limited, and availability varies by location,” said Dr. John Kugler, chief of the Clinical Support Division at the Defense Health Agency. “Vaccine supplies will increase over time and be available to all TRICARE beneficiaries. Get vaccinated as soon as you can to protect your health, family, and community.”
Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness
All three vaccines are safe and will protect you from serious illness. Millions of people in the United States have already taken COVID-19 vaccines, and they have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. These vaccines have been deemed safe and effective by independent medical experts.
Doctors agree: Individuals should take the first vaccine that becomes available to them. Before you receive the vaccine, take time to learn about the benefits of protecting yourself and your family against COVID-19, and understand potential side effects which you may experience. These side effects will disappear within a few days and indicate that your body is being trained to fight against COVID-19. Individuals will receive immunity against serious illness within two weeks.
For more information about how the vaccines work, their safety, side effects, and effectiveness, visit the CDC website.
The CDC has issued new guidance on the kinds of activities you will be able to resume after being fully vaccinated. You will be able to spend time indoors with other fully vaccinated people, even if they are from another household. You may also be able to visit other unvaccinated individuals, if they are low-risk. It is important to get vaccinated because as more individuals receive the vaccine, we will be able to visit more friends and family safely and return to normal. For additional CDC guidance on what you can safely do after being fully vaccinated, review new CDC guidelines for the fully vaccinated.
Note: DFAS does NOT have information on vaccines. Please see TRICARE COVID Vaccine for information from TRICARE.
Page updated March 17, 2021