Enrollment is not required for TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra—there are no enrollment forms to fill out and no enrollment fees. You may use TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra interchangeably as often as you like, but it is important to understand the differences between the two.
The key difference between TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra is in the providers that you use for care. With TRICARE Standard, you choose TRICARE-authorized providers outside of the TRICARE network and pay higher cost-shares. With TRICARE Extra, you choose hospitals and providers within the TRICARE network and receive discounted cost-shares.
Figure 1.1 provides a quick comparison of the two options. We will discuss specific provider types later in this handbook. For cost details, visit
TRICARE's web site.