TRICARE is also available to members of the National Guard and Reserves and their families, and benefits will vary depending on the sponsor's military status.

Registration in DEERS is the key. Visit the DEERS Website now or call 1-800-538-9552 to confirm or establish your eligibility for TRICARE.

DEERS is the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. It is the an automated information system designed to maintain timely and accurate information on service members and dependents who are eligible for military benefits and entitlements, and to detect and prevent fraud and abuse in the distribution of these benefits and entitlements.

TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR), which is expected to begin this fall, will allow qualified members of the Retired Reserve and survivors to purchase TRICARE Standard coverage by paying monthly premiums.

TRR Monthly Premiums

The statute that established TRR requires that qualified retired reservists pay premiums equal to the full cost of the coverage without government subsidy. Rates will be adjusted annually.

The new and enhanced TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) health plan took effect October 1, 2007. As required under the new law, the old three-tier TRS was eliminated and replaced with a single premium rate for all qualified Selected Reserve members and their eligible family members.

The enhanced TRS is a premium-based TRICARE health plan, available to qualified members of the Selected Reserve, at 28 percent of the premium cost, offering coverage similar to TRICARE Standard (and TRICARE Extra) with the same deductible and cost share payments used for active duty family member program. To qualify to purchase TRS coverage, a Reserve component member must be serving in the Selected Reserve on the first day of TRS coverage and must remain in the Selected Reserve for the entire period covered under TRS. Only those Selected Reserve members who are eligible for or enrolled in a health benefit plan under chapter 89 of title 5 of the United States Code (the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program) are, by law, excluded from purchasing TRS.

Welcome to the DoD Compensation and Benefits Handbook for Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces. If you are a Service member in any of those categories, you should find this Handbook to be a useful reference. First, please know that your service to your country and the sacrifices you have made are appreciated by all Americans. We owe our liberty to patriots like you and those who came before you. The American people, through their elected representatives, have put in place many programs to help you as you go through your recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration, whether that is return to military service or a return to civilian life.

This Handbook was designed to answer your questions in the order in which they are most likely to arise. It is intended as a quick reference for you and your loved ones during rehabilitation to reintegration. This version will link you to all of the resource sites you will need, it will answer most of your immediate questions and lead you to the right places to answer the rest.

Many of the answers to your questions will depend on your specific, personal circumstances. Take advantage of the assistance of your Recovery Care Coordinator (RCC), Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Program Advocate, Navy Safe Harbor Non-Medical Care Manager (NMCM) or Federal Recovery Coordinator (FRC) to find the answers to your questions or help you contact the appropriate experts.