Your child is turning 21: TRICARE Young Adult
What TYA costs in 2026, who qualifies, and what else you can do.
What it is
TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) is a premium-based plan that lets an adult child keep TRICARE coverage after regular TRICARE ends. How regular TRICARE ends, and the difference between TYA-Prime and TYA-Select, are at vsgsolutions.org/tricare-explained.
Who qualifies
The young adult must be the unmarried adult child of an eligible uniformed service sponsor, at least 21 but not yet 26. They cannot enroll if they are eligible for an employer-sponsored plan through their own job, are otherwise eligible for a TRICARE program or are a uniformed service sponsor.
What it costs (2026)
- TYA Prime: $794 per person per month
- TYA Select: $363 per person per month
TRICARE lists the same rates for children of active duty and retired sponsors. Premiums change each year on 1 January. TYA premiums do not count toward deductibles or catastrophic caps. Check the current figure on TRICARE's cost page before you decide.
What it costs (2026)
How to enroll
- Confirm your child's information in DEERS (the military enrollment record). Call the DMDC/DEERS Support Office at the number below if anything is wrong.
- Enroll online: log in to milConnect, click the Benefits tab, then click Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE). Or call your regional contractor, or mail or fax DD Form 2947 from the TRICARE enrollment forms page.
- Pay the first two months of premiums up front (check, cashier's check, money order or card). After that, premiums are paid by monthly automatic electronic payment.
Other options and traps
- Coverage ends automatically at age 26, at marriage, when your child becomes eligible for employer coverage or when they gain other TRICARE eligibility.
- 12-month lockout. If your child ends TYA on their own, they cannot buy it again for 12 months, unless they got employer coverage or other TRICARE eligibility.
- CHCBP. If your child does not qualify for TYA, or their student coverage ends, they may be able to buy the Continued Health Care Benefit Program. You have 60 days from losing TRICARE eligibility to enroll. See the separate CHCBP page in this binder.
- Marriage. A married child is no longer TRICARE-eligible as your dependent but may qualify to buy CHCBP.
- Disability. A child who is severely disabled or incapacitated may be eligible for TRICARE beyond the normal age limits.
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- TRICARE East region: 1-800-444-5445
- TRICARE West region: 1-888-874-9378 (888-TRIWEST)
- DMDC/DEERS Support Office: 1-800-538-9552 (TTY: 1-866-363-2883). Source: TRICARE: children turning 21
- CHCBP (Humana Military): 1-800-444-5445. Source: tricare.mil/chcbp
Official pages