TRICARE Select is a self-managed health plan for military families, retirees, and certain other beneficiaries that lets you see any TRICARE-authorized provider without needing a primary care manager or referrals for specialist visits. Unlike TRICARE Prime, which works more like an HMO, Select functions like a PPO: you have more freedom to choose your doctors, but you pay higher out-of-pocket costs in exchange.
Enrollment is required, and you must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) to participate. Active duty service members themselves cannot use TRICARE Select, but their family members can.
Who Is Eligible
TRICARE Select is available to a broad range of military-connected beneficiaries:
- Active duty family members (spouses, children)
- Retired service members and their families
- Family members of activated National Guard and Reserve members
- Non-activated Guard and Reserve members who qualify under the Transitional Assistance Management Program
- Retired Guard and Reserve members aged 60 or older, plus their families
- Survivors, Medal of Honor recipients, and qualified former spouses
Your costs depend on which “group” you fall into. Group A includes anyone who first joined the military before January 1, 2018. Group B covers those who joined on or after that date. Group A generally has lower copays but slightly higher enrollment fees for retirees, while Group B has lower enrollment fees but different cost-sharing.
How You See Doctors and Specialists
The biggest practical difference between Select and Prime is that you don’t need a referral to see a specialist. You can book directly with any TRICARE-authorized provider, whether that’s a dermatologist, orthopedic surgeon, or cardiologist. The only exception is applied behavioral analysis services, which still require a referral.
Certain services do require pre-authorization before you receive them. These include home health services, hospice care, organ and stem cell transplants, adjunctive dental services, and services covered under the Extended Care Health Option. For routine primary care and specialty visits, though, you simply find a provider and schedule an appointment.
Network vs. Non-Network Providers
You can see providers inside or outside the TRICARE network, but staying in-network saves you real money. Network providers (called “participating providers”) accept the TRICARE-allowable charge as full payment. They file claims on your behalf, and you only owe your copay.
Non-network providers who still participate in TRICARE will also accept the allowable charge, but nonparticipating providers are a different story. They haven’t agreed to TRICARE’s rates, so you may need to pay upfront and file your own claim for reimbursement. Stateside nonparticipating providers can charge up to 15% above the TRICARE-allowable amount, and you’re responsible for that extra cost on top of your regular cost-share.
What You’ll Pay for Office Visits
Your copays vary based on whether you’re an active duty family member or a retiree, which group you belong to, and whether you see a network provider. Here’s what the 2025 schedule looks like for in-network visits:
Active Duty Family Members
- Group A: $27 for primary care, $38 for specialty care
- Group B: $19 for primary care, $32 for specialty care
Retirees and Their Families
- Group A: $37 for primary care, $51 for specialty care
- Group B: $32 for primary care, $51 for specialty care
If you go out of network, those flat copays are replaced by percentage-based cost-sharing: 20% of the allowable charge for active duty families, 25% for retirees. That can add up quickly for expensive services.
Enrollment Fees
Active duty family members pay no enrollment fees for TRICARE Select regardless of group. For retirees and other non-active-duty beneficiaries, fees are annual and depend on your group:
- Group A (2025): $181.92 per individual, $364.92 per family
- Group B (2025): $579 per individual, $1,158.96 per family
These fees adjust slightly each year. For 2026, Group A rises to $186.96 individual and $375 family, while Group B goes to $594.96 individual and $1,191 family. You can pay through automatic allotment or include payment with your enrollment form.
Catastrophic Cap
TRICARE Select has an annual ceiling on what your family can spend out of pocket. Once you hit the catastrophic cap, TRICARE covers the rest of your costs for the remainder of the calendar year. Enrollment fees, copays, cost-shares, and deductibles all count toward this limit.
For 2026, the caps break down by beneficiary type. Active duty families are capped at $1,000 (Group A) or $1,324 (Group B) per family. Retiree families face higher caps: $4,381 (Group A) or $4,635 (Group B) per family. Survivors of active duty sponsors and medically retired members get a $3,000 cap under Group A or $4,635 under Group B.
Pharmacy Costs
Prescription drug coverage is included with TRICARE Select. You’ll pay the least by using a military pharmacy (no cost for most prescriptions) or TRICARE’s home delivery option through Express Scripts. Home delivery provides up to a 90-day supply, while retail network pharmacies fill 30-day supplies.
For most beneficiaries, 2026 pharmacy copays are:
- Generic (home delivery): $14 for 90 days
- Brand-name formulary (home delivery): $44 for 90 days
- Non-formulary (home delivery): $85 for 90 days
- Generic (retail network): $16 for 30 days
- Brand-name formulary (retail network): $48 for 30 days
- Non-formulary (retail network): $85 for 30 days
Medically retired sponsors and certain survivors pay significantly less: $0 for generic home delivery, $20 for brand-name home delivery, and $10 for generic at retail pharmacies.
When You Can Enroll or Switch
TRICARE runs an annual open season each fall, starting the Monday of the second full week in November and ending the Monday of the second full week in December. Coverage changes made during open season take effect January 1.
Outside of open season, you can enroll or switch plans only after a qualifying life event (QLE). These include retiring or separating from active duty, activating or deactivating from the Guard or Reserve, getting married or divorced, having or adopting a child, a child aging out of coverage, the death of a family member, or relocating to a new ZIP code (including a child moving away for college). After a QLE, you typically have 90 days to make your enrollment change.
How Select Compares to Prime
The core tradeoff is provider freedom versus cost. TRICARE Prime assigns you a primary care manager, requires referrals for specialists, and charges lower copays and enrollment fees. Select lets you skip the gatekeeper and see any authorized provider directly, but your per-visit costs are higher and your catastrophic cap is steeper (for retirees, $4,381 under Select Group A versus $3,000 under Prime Group A).
Select tends to work best for people who live far from a military treatment facility, want to keep seeing specific civilian doctors, or prefer managing their own care without referral paperwork. Prime is often the better financial choice if you live near a base and don’t mind coordinating through a primary care manager. For active duty families, enrollment fees are $0 for both plans, so the decision comes down purely to how you want to access care and what you’re willing to pay per visit.