Many Tricare Users Will See Prices Increase in 2023

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A Navy doctor assigned to family medicine examines a young patient
A Navy doctor assigned to family medicine at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (NHCP) examines a young patient, May 3, 2019. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael O'Day)

Jim Absher is a benefits columnist for Military.com.

Military families and retirees will be paying more for Tricare in 2023, but most will see relatively small increases.

The increases for many using Tricare Prime and Tricare Select will will mainly be to their annual enrollment fees and deductibles, with smaller increases coming for copayments for medical services in the coming year.

Related: Tricare open enrollment season, which allows members to change their health insurance coverage for the upcoming year, runs from Nov. 14 – Dec. 13, 2022.

Guard and Reserve Members, as well as transitioning troops and young adults enrolled in Tricare plans will also see price increases in the upcoming year.

Tricare Groups

Many of the Tricare cost changes depend on which "Tricare group" a military member is in. A member's Tricare group is determined by when they first entered the military. Group A consists of those who entered service before Jan. 1, 2018, while Group B covers those who entered after that date.

Enrollment Fees

While there are no enrollment fees for active duty families, retirees will see an increase in the upcoming year.

Group A retirees enrolled in Tricare Select will see their annual enrollment fees increase from $317 to $345 for a family, and from $158 to $171.96 for an individual

Group A retirees using Tricare Prime will see the enrollment fees for a family plan increase from $647 to $703.92, while the single plan will go from $323 to $351.96 annually.

Retirees in Tricare Group B will see larger increases.

Deductibles

Deductibles will also be increasing in 2023. A deductible is the amount those using Tricare Select must pay out-of-pocket before Tricare makes any payments.

Group A active-duty family members and retirees will see no changes to the deductible amount.

A military member with the rank of E-4 or below in Group B will see their family deductible increase from $112 to $121, while families with sponsors E-5 and above in Group B will see their deductible rise from $336 to $365.

Copayments

Most copayments also will go up slightly in the upcoming year. Tricare Select users with a family in Group A will see the cost of a primary care visit increase by $1, going from $24 to $25. The primary care copay for Group B family members will rise from $16 to $18.

Retirees using Tricare Select will see a primary care visit go from $24 to $34, while those using Tricare Prime will pay $24 next year, up from the current $22.

Catastrophic Cap

The catastrophic cap is your maximum out-of-pocket cost for all health care provided each year; it limits your liability if a member of your family has a serious illness or injury. Once you have paid this much in copayments or pharmacy charges during the year, the rest will be paid in full by Tricare.

This cap will also increase in 2023.

Group A retirees using Tricare Select will see it increase from $3,706 to $4,028.

While the cap for active-duty members in Group A who have Tricare Prime will remain the same at $3,000 annually, those in Group B will see it increase from $3,921 to $4,262.

For more details, including a breakdown of all the new enrollment fees and copayments, check out our detailed Tricare pages.

Tricare Prime Coverage Details

Tricare Select Coverage Details

Keep Up with Changes to Tricare and Your Other Benefits

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