Rules that already cover most civilian health insurance plans might soon be coming to TRICARE, allowing children to remain on their parents’ policy until they turn 26 with no extra fees.
The legislation titled the “Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act,” would extend TRICARE coverage for active duty and retired beneficiaries up to 26 without paying an additional premium — a standard that exists for civilians with private insurance.
The House and Senate bills were introduced by veterans in Congress who say it would save military families money each year. The bill has support from members of both parties and was previously introduced in 2021 and 2023.
Currently, TRICARE dependents can only remain on their parents’ insurance policy until they are 21, or 23 if they are a full-time student, without extra fees. Full-time students must prove that their parents pay for more than half of their financial support. In that case, they can stay on their parents’ TRICARE policy until they turn 23 or until they are out of school.
But unlike civilian insurance plans, keeping a dependent on TRICARE until they are 26 comes with a separate monthly premium, a rule established by the Young Adult Program in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. Nearly 33,000 military dependents have TRICARE coverage under the Young Adult Program and spend between $337 and $727 each month for a premium, according to a release from Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) one of the bill sponsors.
“The fact that they’re forced to pay hundreds of dollars a month to keep their young adult children on TRICARE — while civilians can keep theirs covered at no cost until age 26 — is simply unfair,” House bill sponsor Rep. Jen Kiggans said in a release.
The Affordable Care Act, which is often referred to as ‘Obamacare,’ requires that most insurance plans offer dependent coverage until 26. The ACA was signed into law in March 2010 and has survived several attempts by Republicans to repeal the law.
The ACA’s age rules aimed to bridge a health insurance gap faced by many young workers and recent college graduates. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, nearly 30% of adults between 18 and 26 do not have insurance and make up more than one in five of the uninsured across the U.S. This group also has the lowest rate of access to insurance through their employers because they often hold entry-level, part-time or small business jobs with limited insurance offerings.
While many adults in this age range can be covered by a parent’s insurance — which parents often receive through their employer — the children of active duty or retired military members covered by TRICARE face an additional premium.
“Military families shouldn’t have to pay more than civilians to provide healthcare to their young adult children,” Besa Pinchotti, CEO of the National Military Family Association said in a release. “Military families are paying hundreds of dollars each month to provide health coverage for the young adults in their families, while civilian families face no increase in cost related to age.”
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a release that extending TRICARE coverage could save hundreds of thousands of military families more than $8,700 each year.
The legislation is endorsed by a host of veteran service organizations and military family advocacy groups like the American Legion, Blue Star Families, Gold Star Spouses of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association, National Guard Association of the United States, Service Women’s Action Network, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Military Officers Association of America.
