Explore how TRICARE covers young adults

ByTRICARECommunications

FALLS CHURCH, Va Is your child a recenthighschoolorcollegegraduate?You might be wondering how this affects their TRICAREeligibility

“Youngadultfamilymembers’TRICARE optionsdependontheirage,studentstatus, and a few other factors,” said Debra Fisher, TRICAREHealthPlanpolicyandprograms analyst at the Defense Health Agency “It’s important to know what these options are so that you and your child can choose the healthcoveragethatbestfitstheirneeds.

Learn how young adult family members canuseTRICARE

Coverage Before Age 21 and During College

Adultchildrenareeligibletocontinuein their existing TRICARE coverage until at least age 21. College students may be eligible to stay in their existing TRICARE plan until they graduate or turn age 23—whichever is sooner They must be a full-time studentatanapprovedinstitutionofhigher learning, and their sponsor must provide more than 50% of their financial support. Besuretoupdatetheirstudentstatusinthe

Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) If you have questions about your child’s eligibility, contact your local ID card office

Moving away for college is a TRICARE

Qualifying Life Event. This means the college student and other family members may be eligible to change TRICARE health plans within 90 days of the move Don’t forget to update your student’s address in DEERS If they’re eligible for TRICARE

Prime and TRICARE Select, some things to consider when choosing a plan are how far they are from home, their health needs, and costs Visit Going to College (https:// www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/College) to learnmore.

TRICARE Young Adult Program

Mostyoungadultchildrenloseeligibility for regular TRICARE when they age out or graduate from college However, they may qualify for TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) if theymeetallofthesecriteria:

„ Unmarried adult child of an eligible uniformedservicesponsor „ At least age 21 (age 23 if a full-time student)butnotyetage26

ByAmericanHeartAssociationNews

Walkingisoneofthemostversatileforms of exercise, because you cando it just about anytime,anywhere.Thesetipswillhelpyou getyourwalkonattherighttimeforyou.

Like to move as soon as your feet hit the floor?

„ Before you go to bed, get your walking clothes and shoes ready so it’s easy to put themonquicklyandheadoutthedoor.

„ Eat a piece of fruit or a few spoonfuls of yogurtforaquickfuel-up

„ Walking to your favorite jams may help getyoumoving Justmakesureyoucanstill heartraffic.

„ Ifit’sstilldark,wearreflectiveclothingor carryalight.

„ Be sure to stretch a bit at the end of your walk.Watchamorningnewsshoworcheck youremailwhilestretching

Is lunchtime the only break in your busy day?

„ Schedule your lunchtime walk in your work calendar Think of it as an important appointment.

„ Keep everything you need for walking at work. This way you won’t find yourself saying“Iforgotmyshoes Ican’tgo.”

„ Recruit some coworkers to join you. You cankeepeachotherontrack.

„ Depending on your walking pace, the weatherandhowmuchyousweat,youmay be able to wear your work clothes and just put on athletic shoes Or you may prefer to changeintoat-shirt „ Incoolerweather,youmightneedajacket, hatorgloves.Ifyou’rewalkingbriskly,you’ll heatupinafewminutes sodon’toverdress

„ Bring your lunch or pick a route where youcangrabaquickhealthymealattheend ofyourwal

„ Ineligible to enroll in their own employer-sponsoredhealthplan

„ Ineligible for other TRICARE program coverage

„ Notamemberoftheuniformedservices TYAcoverageincludesmedicalandpharmacy benefits, but it doesn’t include dental or vision benefits How your child gets care withTYAdependsonwhethertheyenrollin TYAPrimeorTYASelect.Asoutlinedinthe TRICAREYoungAdultProgramFactSheet (download at https://www.tricare.mil/ Publications/Fact-Sheets/young_adult), eligibilityfortheseoptionsisbasedonsponsor status and where the child lives TYA has a monthly premium. Additional costs are based on whether they enroll in TYA Prime or TYA Select, their sponsor’s status, and where they receive care. To learn more about these costs, check out the TRICARE CompareCostsTool

Unlike with TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select plans TRICARE Open Seasondoesn’tapplytoTYA.Oncechildren showaseligibleforTYAinDEERS,theycan purchase TYA coverage anytime They can also end TYA coverage at any time. Certain changes in status like turning age 26 or getting married will also cause their TYA coveragetoend.

Continued Health Care Benefit Program

Young adults may be eligible for temporaryhealthcoveragethroughtheContinued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) in eitherofthesesituations:

„ TheyloseeligibilityforregularTRICARE andtheydon’tqualifyforTYA

„ TheyloseeligibilityforTYA

Adult children who choose to purchase CHCBPmustdosowithin60daysoflosing TRICARE or TYA eligibility CHCBP is a premium-based plan, with coverage and other costs similar to those of TRICARE Select. Check out the TRICARE Compare CostsTooltolearnmore

Other Coverage Options

EvenifeligibleforTYAorCHCBP,young adult children may have other health care coverage options Search the Health InsuranceMarketplacetofindoptionsthatarein your family’s budget and meet your child’s needs Your child may qualify for financial assistanceforcommercialhealthplansavailablethroughtheHealthInsuranceMarketplace They may also qualify for Medicaid coverage,dependingontheirstatusandthe statetheylivein

So before choosing a health plan be sure to research all your options If you’re a parent,involveyourchildindecidingwhich plan is right for them. If you have questions about your TRICARE plan options, talk to yourTRICAREcontractor

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 andmore

Is

Working

out after work your idea of happy hour?

„ Have a light snack about an hour or two beforeyouleavesoyoudon’texperiencean energy dip and talk yourself out of walking Try yogurt, a handful of almonds or a piece offruit.

„ Pickaroutewithoutheavytrafficbecause rushhourcanincreaseairpollutants

„ Do some shoulder rolls and other warmups to release the stress of the day before headingout. „ If it’s already dark, wear reflective clothingorcarryalight.

Every Step Counts

Most adults should try for at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) a week of moderate intensityactivity 30minutesofbriskwalking on at least five days a week is one way tomeetthisgoal.Butwhatifyou’resotight on time that you can’t spare a half hour every day? Then get creative and break up your activity into shorter sessions For example:

„

In the morning, park or get off the bus/ train about 10 minutes away from your job andwalkbrisklytowork

„ At lunch, walk for 10 minutes around whereyouwork,indoorsoroutdoors

„ At the end of the day, walk briskly for 10 minutesbacktoyourcarorstation

And there you have an easy 30-minute daily workout! Remember exercise is any kindofphysicalactivitythatgetsyourheart rateup.