Tricare Costs to Rise in 2026, Impacting Millions of Military Families
WASHINGTON – Health care costs for Tricare beneficiaries are set to increase in 2026, affecting premiums, deductibles, copayments, and catastrophic caps for many military members, retirees, and their families. The changes, announced recently, reflect ongoing adjustments to the military health system and will impact those enrolled in Tricare Select, Prime, Reserve Select, and the Young Adult Program.
Tricare,the health care program for uniformed service members,retirees,and their families,serves over 9.6 million people worldwide. The upcoming changes vary depending on plan type and beneficiary group, categorized as Group A and Group B, based on factors like active duty status and retirement.
Here’s a breakdown of the key cost increases:
Premiums: monthly premiums will see increases across several Tricare plans. Tricare Reserve Select premiums will rise to $57.88 per month for individual members,a 7.6% increase,and $286.66 for families,up 4.4%. Tricare Retired Reserve premiums will increase to $645.90 for individuals and $1,548.30 for families. The Tricare Young Adult Program will see more substantial increases, with Prime coverage rising 9.2% to $794 per month and Select coverage increasing 7.7% to $363.
Deductibles: Annual deductibles for Tricare Select users will also increase in 2026.While Group A active-duty family members and retirees will see no deductible changes, Group B beneficiaries will face increases. E-4 and below in Group B will see their family deductible rise from $128 to $132, while families with sponsors E-5 and above in Group B will see their deductible rise from $386 to $397.Individual military members in Group B will also see their deductibles rise, from $64 to $66 for E-4 and below, and from $193 to $198 for E-5 and above. Tricare Prime members do not pay annual deductibles.
Copayments: many copayments are also scheduled to increase. A primary care visit for active-duty Tricare Select users with a family in Group A will increase from $27 to $28. Retirees using tricare Select will see a primary care visit increase to $38 in Group A and $33 in Group B.Tricare Prime primary care visit copays will rise from $25 to $26.Group B family members’ primary care copay will remain at $19.
Catastrophic Cap: The catastrophic cap, which limits a beneficiary’s annual out-of-pocket expenses, will also increase. For Group A retirees using Tricare Select, the cap will rise from $4,261 to $4,381, and from $4,509 to $4,635 for Group B retirees. The cap will remain at $1,000 for active-duty family members in Group A, but increase from $1,288 to $1,324 for those in Group B.
