2027 Tricare Prime costs show retirees paying more than active duty
Military.com has published updated 2027 figures for Tricare Prime, laying out what retirees and families will pay in enrollment fees, copays, and catastrophic caps under the program's Group A and Group B structure.
Snapshot
Tricare Prime remains the managed care option that active-duty members must enroll in, while retirees and others can choose it over Tricare Select. According to Military.com, the 2027 numbers show retirees paying more than families of active-duty members, who continue to face minimal out-of-pocket costs. The figures split along the Group A (entered service before 2018) and Group B (2018 or later) divide that governs most Tricare costs.
Key points
- Active-duty families pay little: no enrollment fees, no network copayments, and no point-of-service fees unless they opt into that feature, per Military.com.
- Retiree enrollment fees rise by group: Group A retirees pay $396 single or $793 family in 2027; Group B pays $480 single or $960 family, the site reports.
- Catastrophic caps differ sharply: active-duty Group A caps out at $1,000 and Group B at $1,372, while retired Group A caps at $3,000 and Group B at $4,802, according to Military.com.
- Copays hit retirees, not active duty: active-duty beneficiaries owe $0 across primary care, specialist, urgent care, ER, and hospital visits, while Group A retirees pay $27 to $205 depending on service, per the report.
Quick take
The gap between what active-duty families and retirees pay under Tricare Prime remains built into the system, and the 2027 numbers show that gap widening slightly for anyone who entered service in 2018 or later. Retirees and families weighing Prime against Tricare Select should check these figures against their own usage before open enrollment.
Read the full story: military.com