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TRICARE Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP)

Joe Wallace

The transition from active military service to civilian life can be challenging. Some leave military service after a 20-year career, while others depart unexpectedly, sooner than expected, or have other unplanned circumstances that affect the ability to continue a military career; that transition is potentially more difficult.

To ensure a more seamless transition for qualifying service members, federal law established the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) to offer a temporary, 180-day extension of premium-free TRICARE health benefits immediately following a service member’s separation from active duty.

Not all military members qualify, as we’ll see below. It’s typically offered to those who didn’t plan on separating from the military but must do so due to a reduction in force, denial of reenlistment, or other reasons we’ll examine below.

TAMP is not a long-term healthcare solution. It is a transitional benefit that provides stability and continuity of care and has a specific end date for each beneficiary.

The Purpose of TAMP

The program ensures that the commitment to the well-being of personnel and their families extends beyond their final day of active service.

TAMP provides a temporary, 180-day period of transitional healthcare benefits, which begins the day after the service member separates from active duty.

The program allows those who qualify to continue using the same TRICARE benefits they used during active duty service.

TAMP is separate from the healthcare options the Department of Veterans Affairs provides. While separating service members are encouraged to apply for VA health care, TAMP is a transitional benefit that provides access to the civilian provider network through TRICARE.

The program covers the immediate post-service period before a veteran has secured a civilian job with health insurance or has fully enrolled in and begun using the VA system.

Who Qualifies for TAMP?

TRICARE does not offer universal TAMP eligibility and restricts the program to service members who separate from the military under specific, qualifying conditions. Retirees and those separated under dishonorable conditions cannot use TAMP.

The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) serves as the definitive system to verify eligibility, which makes it crucial for transitioning service members to ensure their records are accurate before their separation date.

According to official TRICARE and government sources, four primary categories determine eligibility, as we explore below. For all categories, eligibility also extends to the service member’s eligible family members registered in DEERS on the sponsor’s last day of active duty. The program covers these family members for the same 180-day period.

Involuntary Separation

This is one of the most common qualifying categories, applicable to service members who involuntarily separate from active duty under honorable conditions. This includes, but is not limited to, situations such as a reduction in force (RIF), a denial of reenlistment, or non-selection for promotion.

Separation from a Contingency Operation

A service member who separates from active duty after a call-up or order to serve for more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation qualifies for TAMP. An officially designated military operation that involves conflict or the threat of conflict constitutes a contingency operation. This provision ensures that those who have recently served in a deployed or high-stakes environment receive a period of stable healthcare upon their return to civilian life.

Separation Under Stop Loss Authority

Service members retained on active duty beyond their original separation date under “Stop Loss” authority also qualify for TAMP upon their eventual separation. Stop Loss is a policy that involuntarily extends a service member’s term of service to meet mission needs.

Sole Survivorship Discharge

A service member who separates from active duty under a sole survivorship discharge qualifies for TAMP. This specific type of discharge applies to a service member who is the only surviving child in a family where the parent or one or more siblings died as a result of military service.

TAMP Benefit Package

The continuation of TRICARE coverage forms the core of the TAMP benefit. During the 180-day TAMP period, beneficiaries have the same healthcare options as active-duty family members. This means they can choose to use either TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select, depending on their location and preference.

During TAMP, TRICARE.mil states, “you and your family members are eligible to use one of the following health plan options” in addition to getting care at facilities:

• TRICARE Prime
• TRICARE Select 
• US Family Health Plan (if you live in a designated location)
• TRICARE Prime Overseas 
• TRICARE Select Overseas 

TRICARE reminds beneficiaries that dependent TRICARE ends when TAMP does.

One advantage of TAMP is that the medical coverage is premium-free. Beneficiaries do not pay monthly premiums for their TRICARE plan during the 180-day period. However, they are still responsible for any applicable deductibles, copayments, and cost-shares associated with their chosen plan. These out-of-pocket costs are the same as those for active-duty family members.

The TAMP benefit also includes transitional dental coverage. This allows the service member and their eligible family members to continue their dental insurance through the TRICARE Dental Program.

Unlike the medical benefit, the dental coverage is not automatic or premium-free. To maintain dental coverage, beneficiaries must re-enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program and begin paying the monthly premiums.

Activation and Planning for Post-TAMP Coverage

For most eligible service members, the system automatically enrolls eligible members into TAMP. The service branches are responsible for updating a member’s status in DEERS upon separation.

Once DEERS reflects a qualifying separation, it activates TRICARE TAMP coverage, beginning the day after the service member’s official separation date.

It is important to note that service members, according to the TRICARE official site, “aren’t eligible for TAMP while on terminal leave. During terminal leave, you continue to get active duty benefits and your family members stay covered under TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Prime Remote, or TRICARE Select.”

Your transition coverage begins after you are officially out of the military.

Verify your TAMP eligibility with their transition counselor and check DEERS to ensure its accuracy. Any errors can cause delays or interruptions in coverage.

The 180-day TAMP period provides a window to plan for long-term healthcare. Transitioning service members should use this time to explore their options, which may include:

• Securing a civilian job that offers health benefits.
• Applying for and enrolling in the VA healthcare system.
• Purchasing a private plan through the health insurance marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act.
• After TAMP ends, eligible former service members and their families can purchase temporary, premium-based health coverage for an additional 18-36 months through CHCBP. This program acts as another bridge to permanent coverage and is similar to COBRA for civilian employees.