Tricare's 2026 Open Season: Who Can Switch Plans, Who Can't
Tricare's annual open season for 2026 opens a window to switch health plans for 2027, but according to Tricare, five groups of beneficiaries are shut out of it entirely, including active-duty troops and Tricare for Life members.
Snapshot
The enrollment window covers people with Tricare Prime options, including the U.S. Family Health Plan and Tricare Prime Demo, and Tricare Select, with changes taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. Beneficiaries who do nothing stay put in their current plan automatically, while dental and vision coverage runs on a separate federal calendar.
Key points
- Who's covered: Open season applies to beneficiaries enrolled in or eligible for Tricare Prime options or Tricare Select.
- Who's excluded: Tricare says active-duty service members, Tricare for Life beneficiaries, and those in Tricare Reserve Select, Tricare Retired Reserve, or Tricare Young Adult don't use this window.
- No action needed to stay put: Enrolled beneficiaries who make no changes remain in their current plan as long as they stay eligible, according to Tricare.
- Separate clock for dental and vision: Those benefits run through FEDVIP, managed by the Office of Personnel Management, with its own window of Nov. 9 to Dec. 14, 2026.
- Costs not yet posted: As of Oct. 19, Tricare had not released 2027 cost figures, so beneficiaries can't yet compare next year's fees, deductibles or copayments before deciding to switch.
Quick take
For families juggling two different enrollment calendars and no cost numbers yet, the practical move is to mark both windows now and watch for Tricare's 2027 cost release before making a final call on switching plans.
Read the full story: military.com