TRICARE Reserve Select Explained

TRICARE Reserve Select is premium-based health coverage for the Selected Reserve. It works like TRICARE Select — any TRICARE-authorized provider, no referrals needed — and it is available worldwide.

2026 premiums:

  • Member only: $57.88 a month
  • Member and family: $286.66 a month

2026 cost shares:

  • Annual deductible, pay grades E-1 to E-4: $66 per individual, $132 per family
  • Annual deductible, E-5 and above: $198 per individual, $397 per family
  • Catastrophic cap: $1,324 per family

At under $290 a month for a whole family, it is one of the cheapest genuinely comprehensive plans available to anyone in the United States. Network providers cost less and file claims for you; going outside the network means higher cost shares and sometimes filing your own claim.

Who is eligible?

Members of the Selected Reserve and their family members, provided you are:

  • not on active duty orders for more than 30 days,
  • not covered by the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP), and
  • not eligible for or enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB).

The FEHB exclusion is the one that catches people, and note the wording: eligible for, not just enrolled in. A Guard or Reserve member who works as a federal civilian employee — which is a very common combination — is generally ruled out of TRS on that basis alone, even if they never take up FEHB.

Members of the Individual Ready Reserve do not qualify.

Two sequencing points. If you are leaving active duty into the Selected Reserve, TAMP runs first and TRS starts after it. And you have 90 days (120 overseas) from a birth or adoption to add the child.

How do I apply?

  • Check the FEHB exclusion first: Being eligible for FEHB rules you out, not just being enrolled.
  • Purchase through milConnect: The Beneficiary Web Enrollment tool is the enrollment route.
  • Wait out TAMP if you are just leaving active duty: TRS cannot start while TAMP covers you.
  • Budget for the deductible tier you are in: E-5 and above pay roughly three times the E-1 to E-4 deductible.
  • Use network providers where you can: Lower cost shares, and they file the claim.
  • Add a new child within 90 days: 120 days if you are overseas.

Common questions

How much does TRICARE Reserve Select cost in 2026?

$57.88 a month for member-only coverage and $286.66 a month for member-and-family coverage.

Who is not eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select?

Anyone on active duty orders longer than 30 days, anyone covered by TAMP, anyone eligible for or enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and members of the Individual Ready Reserve.

Does a federal civilian job stop you getting TRICARE Reserve Select?

Usually yes. The exclusion is being eligible for FEHB, not just enrolled in it, so a federal civilian job generally rules you out even if you decline FEHB.

What is the TRICARE Reserve Select deductible?

In 2026, $66 per individual and $132 per family for pay grades E-1 to E-4, and $198 per individual and $397 per family for E-5 and above. The catastrophic cap is $1,324 per family.

Do you need referrals under TRICARE Reserve Select?

No. You can book with any TRICARE-authorized provider, though network providers cost less and file claims for you.

Learn More