How To Ensure TRICARE Prime Eligibility

When you welcome a new child into your family, it is important to register him or her in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and update DEERS once you receive his or her Social Security number (SSN).

When you initially register your child in DEERS, he or she will not have an SSN and will be assigned a temporary identification number that is only valid for a short period of time. Depending on the state in which you live, it may take up to 12 weeks to receive your child’s SSN in the mail. Once you receive your child’s SSN, go to your nearest uniformed services identification card-issuing facility to have his or her information updated in DEERS.

While newborns and newly adopted children automatically are covered by TRICARE Prime for the first 60 days after birth (or 120 days if overseas) if at least one other family member is enrolled in a TRICARE Prime option, you must also register your child in DEERS as soon as possible to establish TRICARE eligibility. To maintain your child’s future eligibility, you must make sure his or her DEERS information, including SSN, is updated.

If you do not enroll your child in TRICARE Prime within 60 days after birth (120 days if overseas), coverage automatically will convert to TRICARE Standard on day 61 (or day 121 overseas). Whether your child is covered by TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Standard, you must enter his or her SSN in DEERS. Children are only eligible for TRICARE Standard benefits for 365 days after birth if not properly registered in DEERS. Failing to register or update your child’s information in a timely manner will result in ineligibility for TRICARE benefits until he or she is properly registered.

To learn more about your child’s eligibility for TRICARE benefits, visit TRICARE's Web Site.