Time is Running out for Airmen, Guardians to Enroll for Health Care

Don’t forget—the deadlines for Airmen and Guardians to sign up for 2026 health, dental, and vision benefits are quickly approaching.

Tricare open season ends Dec. 9 for health care coverage starting Jan. 1. Open season for Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program ends Dec. 8.

Tricare offers two main health plan options: Tricare Prime and Tricare Select, according to Tricare’s Open Season page.

Tricare Prime: For individuals and families that prefer a primary care manager, or PCM, to oversee their care and want predictable costs. No deductible; just co-payment for most services. No copayments for active-duty family members. Referrals are required for most specialty care.
Tricare Select: Offers more flexibility for Airmen and Guardians. There’s no PCM and participants can see any Tricare-authorized provider they choose. No referrals are necessary for primary care and most specialty care. There is an annual deductible as well as co-payments or cost shares.

Airmen and Guardians living in the Atlanta, Ga., or Tampa, Fla., metropolitan area may want to consider signing up for the Tricare Prime Demo, an option designed to offer more options for eligible participants than the standard Tricare Prime plan, the Defense Health Agency announced in May. Interested participants have until Dec. 9 to sign up through Tricare Open Season. Coverage starts Jan. 1.

The Tricare Prime Demo plan, managed by CareSource Military & Veterans, doesn’t require participants get referrals to see network providers and offers virtual health services and a 24/7 nurse advice line, according to the May announcement. Go to the TRICARE Prime Demo to check eligibility and view details.

For dental and vision, the eligibility for the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, has expanded to include “certain retired uniformed service members, active-duty family members, and survivors,” according to benefeds.gov. The site allows enrollees to check their eligibility, compare premiums and benefits, and estimate in-network and out-of-network service costs.

Airmen and Guardians may also consider opening a health care or dependent care flexible spending account, or FSA, during Tricare Open Season depending on their family’s needs. The Internal Revenue Service allows participants to contribute up to $3,400 pre-tax income into a healthcare FSA each year to cover expenses such as co-payments, vision and dental exams, eyeglasses, and braces, according to fsafeds.gov. But participants can only carry over up to $680 from one plan year to the next.

A dependent care FSA allows participants to use pre-tax income to pay for eligible dependent care services such as preschool, summer day camp, before or after-school programs, and child or adult day care. The IRS allows participants who are single, head of household, or married couples filing joint tax returns to contribute up to $7,500 per year, according to fsafeds.gov. Participants who are married, filing separate tax returns can contribute up to $3,750 per year.

The Air Force Aid Society announced plans in June to streamline the application process for financial aid to offer more assistance to Airmen and Guardians manage the costs of health care, child care and other expensive necessities.