– – Recorded Hotline: 1-800-958-8171 – Office: 1-800-825-2919. – – Email: [email protected] – – PS: No Sales Pitches Ever! We hate'em as much as you do!

This video is about maintaining your eligibility for both Medicare and Tricare coverage. It’s those pesky little things that’ll get you every time.

To ensure you don’t lose access to your Tricare benefits you need to keep your Tricare information current online and your eye on the mailbox.

Tricare communicates by mailing you a red white and blue postcard to you. However, your address must be correct in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System or DEERS. Getting that reminder is especially important for you if you are nearing age 65, or if you have dependents in their early 20s.

You could lose your healthcare coverage altogether if you don’t receive it because of an incorrect address, or if it is accidentally tossed in the trash. You only get that notification card if something big is about to happen. For example, like you’re going to lose your eligibility! You really want to make sure your DEERS is correct.

After eligibility has been lost, you will be locked out. If you miss your window, you’ll be locked out, and you won’t be able to do anything about it. If you are close to turning 65, this change relates to you, your Tricare and Medicare. Two things – You must not only keep your information in DEERS up to date, but you also must sign up for Medicare Part B.

This is important – if you are entitled to premium-free Medicare Part A, you must also have Medicare Part B to keep Tricare. This is regardless of your age or place of residence. Three months before you turn age 65 you need to have set up with Social Security to pay premiums for your Medicare Part B, or you will lose your Tricare.

Now, eligible children of Tricare beneficiaries can remain eligible dependents until they reach their 21st birthday. Then they must sign up for Tricare Young Adult if they want to maintain their coverage. The exception to that rule is – if your child is enrolled in an approved college full-time – and you provide more than 50 percent of their financial support – then the age is extended to 23.

Their Tricare benefits end on their 23rd birthday when they graduate college, or they get married or become eligible for an employer health plan as defined by Tricare Young Adult – whichever comes first. They can also choose to purchase a Tricare Young Adult plan. They can remain on Tricare Young Adult plan until their 26th birthday if they stay eligible.

In both cases, you will receive a postcard from Tricare advising you of the upcoming change. It will direct you to a website that will require a Defense Self-Service log on. To create your login, go to www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect.

For complete Tricare information, including briefings about upcoming changes, you can visit Tricare.mil, the official Tricare website. For more on Tricare Young Adult go to Tricare.mil/smart. You can find these sites listed in the description box below this video.

Give us a call for help about your Medicare coverages. Our number is 1-800-825-2919. I promise you’ll get an answer that’ll point you in the right direction.

Or, if you prefer, give our office a call on our Recorded Hotline. That number is 1-800-958-8171. Then record your question or request, and we’ll get back with you.

If you’re not comfortable with calling – send us an email to
[email protected].

Or, you can visit our website: MedicareAdvisors.com.