A. "Obamacare" is shorthand for the Affordable Care Act, the law that established the new national health care exchange.
Under that law, most Americans must buy some form of health care. However, Tricare is considered minimum essential coverage under the law. In other words, if you're eligible for Tricare, you don't need to buy any other health care to meet the ACA's mandate.
On your second question: "Tricare" is the blanket term for the military's health benefits package. Under that rubric are a variety of plans aimed at different segments of the military, dependent and retiree populations.
For beneficiaries under age 65, the most common plans are Tricare Prime and Tricare Standard. Tricare for Life is for beneficiaries 65 and older who are eligible for Medicare, which acts as first payer while Tricare Standard acts as a backup second payer.
Complete details on all Tricare options are online: tricare.mil/Plans/HealthPlans.aspx.
Q. I'm the daughter of a retired sailor. I recently turned 21 and enrolled in Tricare Young Adult. What happens if I get married? Is there a Tricare plan that I can switch to after marriage?
A. The fact that you are enrolled in Tricare Young Adult at age 21 indicates you're not a full-time college student; if you were, you could remain covered under ordinary Tricare Prime or Standard under your father's sponsorship until age 23. As a dependent over 21 who is not a full-time college student, your only Tricare option under your father's sponsorship is indeed Tricare Young Adult.
Coverage under TYA, which requires enrollment and payment of monthly premiums, may last until age 26, with a critical caveat: A dependent child using TYA who gets married loses all Tricare eligibility under the military parent's sponsorship as of the wedding day.
The presumption is that the child will have access to employer-provided health coverage through his/her own employment or his/her new spouse's employment.
Q. I have Tricare coverage through my parents. I'm a full-time college student who will turn 21 in October. I may need to drop one class because I've been sick and falling behind. That would put me under 12 semester hours. Would this bar me from Tricare Young Adult eligibility after I hit 21?
A. Tricare does not determine full-time student status; individual schools do that. So you need to check with your school on how dropping that class would affect your full-time student status. If your school determines that dropping that class would indeed make you a part-time student, then you would become ineligible for ordinary Tricare Prime or Tricare Standard upon turning 21.
However, children of Tricare sponsors remain eligible for Tricare Young Adult until age 26 regardless of their student status, as long as they remain unmarried and are not eligible for any other health coverage.
Email tricarehelp@militarytimes.com. Include the word "Tricare" in the subject line.
