Days before the Nov. 9 start of Open Season, TRICARE announced updated enrollment fees, premiums, and other rates for its plans taking effect in 2022.  

The full list can be accessed at this link. Charts from 2021, for comparison purposes, can be accessed here (PDF format).

[NEW!: MOAA's 2021-2022 TRICARE Guide]

Many TRICARE fees are increased annually by the amount of the military retired pay cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Because COLA for 2022 is higher than it has been for decades (5.9%), the dollar amounts of TRICARE fee increases will also be higher than we have seen in the recent past.

However, there were no new TRICARE fees announced for 2022, and the new fees from 2021 – TRICARE Select annual enrollment fees for most Group A retirees and their families – saw increases in line with COLA: from $150 to $158 for individuals and from $300 to $317 for families. MOAA has supported recent legislation that would remove these fees, which were part of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and has successfully fought so these Group A retirees remain grandfathered into a lower enrollment rate. Group B retiree enrollment costs for TRICARE Select in 2022 will be $504 for individuals (up from $474) and $1,008 for families (up from $948).

Some notes on other changes:

Catastrophic Cap Updates

After jumping from $3,000 in 2020 to $3,500 in 2021, the TRICARE Select Group A catastrophic cap for retirees and families will sit at $3,706 per family in 2022. The annual enrollment fee applies to the cap. Group B retirees will have a $3,921 cap per family, up from $3,703 in 2021.

Catastrophic caps will be unchanged for retirees and families in TRICARE Prime Group A in 2022 ($3,000), but will rise slightly for Group B beneficiaries ($3,921 up from $3,703, same as Select). Caps also will be unchanged for active duty family members in Group A under TRICARE Prime and Select ($1,000), but will rise for those in Group B ($1,120, up from $1,058).

Get a further breakdown of catastrophic cap figures at the TRICARE West website (applies to all TRICARE regions).

[RELATED: Here Are Your New TRICARE Pharmacy Drug Prices]

2022 Premiums

The TRICARE Reserve Select premium will fall in 2022, the only TRICARE premium set to decline. Individual beneficiaries will pay a $46.70 monthly premium in the new year, with family plans costing $229.99 per month. That’s down from $47.20 and $238.99, respectively, in 2021.

TRICARE Retired Reserve monthly premiums will rise slightly, from $484.83 (individual)/$1,165.01 (family) in 2021 to $502.32 (individual)/$1,206.99 (family) in 2022. The largest increase by percentage comes in the TRICARE Young Adult Prime plan, which went from a $459 monthly premium in 2021 to $512 in 2022. The Select variant also increased, from $257 per month in 2021 to $265 in 2022.

MOAA has made TRICARE young adult coverage a legislative priority, fighting to ensure TRICARE’s coverage for dependents under 26 keeps up with private-sector plans. While legislation drafted to fix this inequity did not make the final NDAA, efforts in both chambers will continue in the new year.

Other Out-of-Pocket Changes

Out-of-pocket rates tied to medical visits inched up slightly across the board, ranging from a $1 increase in primary care visits for retirees and family members on TRICARE Prime ($21 to $22) to an $8 uptick in emergency room costs for a TRICARE Select retiree or family member ($125 to $133). See the full rate sheet at this link.

More Resources

• Visit MOAA’s TRICARE Guide (new for 2021-2022) for a range of resources, including guidance for those nearing military retirement and those approaching age 65.
• Check out TRICARE.mil for a cost comparison tool and more useful resources, including a TRICARE Plan Finder to help determine which programs are available to you.
• Learn more about Open Season, including how to change and compare plans, at TRICARE.mil/openseason.