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Insurance & Medical
A plain-English guide to TRICARE, SGLI, and your other key military insurance benefits. Last updated: July 2024
1) TRICARE: Your Military Health Coverage
What It Is
TRICARE is the healthcare program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families around the world. It provides comprehensive medical and dental coverage.
Why It Matters
Access to low-cost, high-quality healthcare is one of the most valuable benefits of military service. Understanding your TRICARE options can save your family significant money and ensure you get the care you need, wherever you are stationed.
Who Qualifies & How It Works
- Active-duty and retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and other eligible beneficiaries.
- TRICARE Prime: A managed care option similar to an HMO. You are assigned a Primary Care Manager (PCM) on a military base who manages your care. Most active-duty members are required to enroll in Prime. There are generally no out-of-pocket costs for active-duty families.
- TRICARE Select: A preferred provider organization (PPO) plan. You have more freedom to choose your own TRICARE-authorized providers, but you will have a deductible and cost-shares for most services.
- TRICARE For Life: Serves as a secondary payer to Medicare Part A & B for retirees who are eligible for both.
- Prescriptions: TRICARE offers a robust pharmacy program with options for getting prescriptions at military pharmacies, through network retail pharmacies, or via home delivery.
Actionable Steps
Register in DEERS
You and your family members must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) to be eligible for TRICARE. This is a critical first step after a major life event like marriage or childbirth.
Choose a Plan
If you have a choice (e.g., family members at certain locations), compare TRICARE Prime and Select to see which best fits your family's needs for cost and flexibility.
Register for TRICARE coverage
Register for TRICARE coverage approximately three months prior to separation or retirement.
2) SGLI: Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance
What It Is
SGLI is a low-cost group term life insurance program for service members. It provides a default of $500,000 in coverage to help support your family financially if you pass away.
Why It Matters
SGLI provides a significant, immediate financial safety net for your loved ones at an extremely low cost ($31/month for the full $500k). It is essential for anyone who has dependents or financial obligations.
Who Qualifies & How It Works
- Most active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members are automatically enrolled.
- Automatic Enrollment: You are automatically insured for the maximum of $500,000 when you begin service.
- You can reduce your coverage in $50,000 increments or decline it entirely via the SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES).
- Spouse Coverage (FSGLI): You can also insure your spouse for up to $100,000.
- Dependent Children: Dependent children are automatically covered for $10,000 at no cost.
- Conversion: After separating from the military, you can convert your SGLI to a renewable term civilian policy (VGLI) without proof of good health.
Actionable Steps
Review Your Beneficiaries
This is CRITICAL. Log in to the SGLI Online Enrollment System (SOES) via milConnect and ensure your beneficiary information is correct and up-to-date. Do this after any major life event (marriage, divorce, birth).
Assess Your Total Need
While SGLI is excellent, $500,000 may not be enough to cover a mortgage, college expenses, and replace your income for your family. Consider supplementing SGLI with a private term life insurance policy.
3) Dental & Vision Plans
What It Is
The military provides separate dental and vision coverage options for service members and their families.
Why It Matters
Maintaining dental and vision health is key to overall wellness and readiness. These plans make routine and specialized care affordable.
Who Qualifies & How It Works
- Active-duty members, their families, and Guard/Reserve members have different dental options. Vision coverage is part of the TRICARE health plan.
- Active-Duty Dental: Active-duty members receive all dental care at military dental clinics. There is no cost.
- Family Member Dental: Families enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program, a voluntary, premium-based plan provided by United Concordia.
- Vision: TRICARE covers routine eye exams. The number of exams and coverage for glasses/contacts depends on your plan (Prime vs. Select) and beneficiary status.
- FEDVIP: Retirees and federal employees can get dental and vision coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).
Actionable Steps
Enroll Your Family in the Dental Plan
If you have dependents, you must actively enroll them in the TRICARE Dental Program. This is not automatic. Enrollment can be done via the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) website.
Schedule Routine Check-ups
Take advantage of the benefits by scheduling annual dental and vision exams for yourself and your family to catch any issues early.
FAQ & Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
Glossary
- TRICARE
- The military's healthcare program for service members and their families.
- DEERS
- Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. The database you must be registered in to be eligible for military benefits.
- SGLI
- Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. The military's low-cost term life insurance program.
- PCM
- Primary Care Manager. Your main doctor under TRICARE Prime who provides referrals for specialty care.